Every Time We Touch
by Willow-Bane
Summary: Natsu and Gray have always hated each other, their relationship being as natural as oil mixing with water. But what happens when they're forced to room together during a spring trip with the Fairy Tail Guild?
1. Chapter 1

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Summary:** Natsu and Gray have always hated each other, their relationship being as natural as oil mixing with water. But what happens when they're forced to room together during a spring trip with the Fairy Tail Guild?

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

It was just your typical, dull, ordinary day in Magnolia. The evening was cool and breezy, even as the sun set, making the sky's hue a combination of light pink, husky orange and deep red. Shopkeepers eagerly prepared to close up their small stores and businesses while desperate shoppers scampered across the streets like startled mice, hoping to make any last-minute purchases before the weekend started.

Gray walked along the sidewalk—which was gradually becoming vacant now that business hours were ending—wearing his usual dark pants, and no shirt. Where was it, anyway?

Gray wasn't headed in any particular direction, just wherever his feet took him. But it just so happened that they'd led him toward a very tall structure near the end of the city, towering over the smaller and more insignificant buildings like some unforthcoming symbol of power. It was a guild, a fairly productive one known for its extraordinary members.

And he was a part of it.

But why choose to wander aimlessly around when he could just hang out in the guild? Occasionally, Gray enjoyed taking quiet walks by himself. It permitted him to… _reflect_ on situations that occur during the day. Or, simply put, to process the goings-on in his life and just where it might be headed.

Additionally—for reasons unknown—Gray often found himself constantly thinking about a certain Natsu Dragneel, the flamebrain, whom he always seem to pick an argument with at the guild. You'd think he'd pick a fight with Erza instead, seeing as how she was one of the strongest members in the guild. But alas, it is the flamebrain.

It was just so annoying how his thoughts somehow managed to drift to that…that _idiot_! Gray didn't understand it! But it _always_ seemed to happen, no matter what he did. As soon as he caught himself, he'd try to clear his mind from all thoughts of that moron and contemplate on something else. He was sorry to say that it worked for roughly five minutes, sometimes even less. Why did the flamebrain plague his thoughts so?

Gray passed the guild and walked in the direction of his apartment, which was nearly a mile from his current location. It wasn't that far. And he didn't mind walking from place to place. When you are on a mission for nearly ten hours straight, walking a mile didn't seem like such a big deal.

Furthermore, exerting so much ice magic hurt his back to some degree. Being able to just get up and stretch his legs for a bit seemed like a treat more than anything else.

Gray's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he noticed a familiar figure headed in his direction. Smirking inwardly, he paused in his steps, eyebrow raised.

"What's up, flamebrain? Miss me already?" Gray taunted. "Come now, didn't we play enough several hours ago?" His smirk was quite visible _now_. That morning, let's just say Gray gave him a little piece of my mind.

"Shut up, Gray!" he snapped. Natsu responded to Gray's derision by grabbing his necklace. Normally, Gray would have stopped him before he even had the opportunity to touch him, but this time, he took him by surprise.

After the shock of him taking hold of him passed, Gray seized his hands—tightly—and swung him around, not only freeing himself from Natsu's vivacious grip, but sending him to the ground. Why he still attempted to assault him, Gray had no idea. He knew it was impossible, so why bother?

"Stupid flamebrain," Gray said, scolding him as he walked away from Natsu's deplorable form.

Gray heard Natsu mutter something under his breath, but he couldn't really make it out. Suddenly, an idea popped into Gray's head and another smirk soon made its way onto his face.

"That's right, flamebrain. Just keep growling. It's only a matter of time before you get what you _really_ deserve. No promises from me, though. The path you're taking will see to that. But, I suppose, it can't be helped. You were _born_ an idiot; therefore, you shall always _be_ a idiot."

"The only thing I deserve is knocking your _invincible attitude_ down a peg or two. For the record, stripper, I was going to pass by," he stated confidently.

Gray snorted.

Walking past him, Gray decided to just head on home, but as he glanced back, he discovered that Natsu decided to just keep on walking, too. That idiot needed to realize that he couldn't win; not at their little fights, and especially not at life.

Gray reached home just about twenty minutes later. He sighed. "I'm hungry," he mumbled to himself. Heading to the fridge, he found…nothing. "I guess I'm eating out."

Grabbing a new shirt and slipping it on, he decided head to Magnolia Café. That would suit his needs for the evening.

* * *

It took him nearly twelve minutes to get there. After Gray arrived, he took in the overall presence of the place. It had been designed to look something like a wooden cabin. The windows were generously proportioned, virtually taking up the entire front of the small structure.

He dragged his feet as he entered the establishment. Gray stood behind the counter and stared at the menu until he realized that the flamebrain was here as well. But not as a customer. Was he here on a job for the guild? It just figured that he wouldn't get some peace and quiet tonight.

Gray realized that while he had been thinking these things, he'd been staring at Natsu. Quickly shifting his gaze, he looked at the menu.

"Coffee. Black," Gray said monotonously. "With a turkey sandwich."

"That'll be ten jewel," Natsu articulated through gritted teeth. Apparently, making a scene while on a job wasn't on his list of things to do, but Gray had other plans.

"If it's not to my liking, I want a refund," Gray said bluntly, tossing him a twenty jewel bill. No reaction. "Oh, and keep the change. Maybe you can use it to get yourself a gag. You know, to keep yourself from sounding like an idiot all the time?"

" _Gray_ ," Natsu growled. "Not here."

Was the flamebrain actually trying to keep things civil for a change? Well, this was certainly new.

"What's that, flamebrain? I didn't quite catch that. Go ahead. Speak." Inside, Gray was cracking up. He was ordering him around and he _loved_ it.

Natsu handed Gray his order and slammed the coffee on the counter. "Just take your damned coffee and sandwich and leave me alone."

"Aw, did I make the flamebrain angry?"

"I'm warning you, Gray," Natsu growled again.

" _You're_ warning _me_? I think you have that backward. Right now, you're the employee and I'm the customer. And as far as I'm concerned, the customer is always right."

Gray thought he made him lose it then, for Natsu slammed his fist down on the counter, flame erupting around his hands. But in his obvious rage, he knocked over the coffee. It fell over, the contents spilling over the pristine marble, down the side, and onto the tip of Gray's left shoe.

"You idiot!" Gray roared. Sure, it wasn't that big of a deal, but he wanted to make Natsu feel like the lowest of the low.

"I'm sorry, Gray," Gray apologized pathetically. He looked frantic. "Did I burn you?"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, flamebrain."

"Is there a problem here?" This was getting good. It looked like the _manager_ had arrived.

"Of course there's a problem!" Gray spat. "This moron spilled coffee on me!"

"It was an accident! I swear!" Natsu stuttered to his temporary boss.

"I'll have this matter dealt with immediately. I assure you this will _never_ happen again," said the manager.

"It had better not," Gray replied curtly. The manager turned to Natsu, looking at him almost sympathetically. What was he—

"I'm sorry, Natsu, but…you're fired from this job."

Well, that was unexpected.

"What?" Natsu looked so devastated.

"My decision is final," the manager said. "Get your things, Natsu…and leave."

Natsu left the front of the Café and went to the back. A few seconds later, he returned, carrying some things. He shoved past Gray and the ice mage could have sworn Natsu had tears in his eyes. Someone else in Gray's position would normally feel remorse or try to assure the manager that such a decision was unfair.

But Gray just stood there and remained indifferent to it all; he didn't care.

* * *

Fired from a mission? No. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. Not now. He needed this job…more than anyone would ever know.

Natsu's thoughts ceased for a moment as he looked at the remains of the house he had lived in Happy. He hadn't meant to start the fire. It was just getting harder to…

Well, at least Happy was safe. He wasn't there when the fire started. Or ended. But the look of devastation on Happy's face when he saw the smoldering remains of their home had been more than Natsu could bear.

So he told the Exceed to stay with Lucy until they had a new place to live, but he made sure to make Happy promise he wouldn't tell Lucy what happened to their house. Not that he told Happy the true story anyway.

He himself for the lie he told his friend. And he hated this place with a passion unlike any other. But did he hate it more than Gray?

Gray. A new emotion surged through him, but he was unsure as to what it was. He felt all the things that he should be feeling right now: anger, hurt, and…fear. However, there was something else deep down inside him that he never thought he _could_ feel. And that…was hopelessness. Was he losing hope? Giving up? That couldn't be, could it?

Brushing those thoughts aside, Natsu trudged through the wreckage of his old home. He swallowed hard as he rummaged through the rubble again before plopping down on the ground. What was the point? Everything was destroyed.

Natsu's mind drifted into hopelessness once again. At least until a sharp pain erupted in his chest. "Not now," he gasped in pain as his left hand clenched his shirt just above his heart.

And then he felt his temperature rise at an alarming rate.

"No, no, no." Flames engulfed his body against his will, burning much hotter than he thought possible. It had to be hot if even _he_ could feel the heat. Natsu almost felt like it was burning him. His own fire?

Natsu let out a pained yelp, instantly covering his mouth with his hands as soon as the sound erupted. He was burning! His skin was burning! He could see his clothes gradually becoming charred as scorch marks appeared on his skin.

Natsu ignored the pain, his mind trying to wrap around the fact that he was being burned by his own fire.

Suddenly, the flames died down and his clothing crumbled to ashes around him; only his scarf remained. The burns on his body, however, stayed.

Taking a few deep breaths, Natsu tried to gather his wits about him. He rose shakily to his feet. Walking slowly toward the pack he normally took on missions, he picked it up, and carefully headed in the direction of the small pond nearby. No one would be there…hopefully.

Why was this happening? This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. He'd lost control of his fire magic somehow, it was now burning him and out of control, and he'd just lost the only job close to home. There was no way he could go on a full blown mission. Not in his condition. What the hell was he going to do now? He had nowhere to go, nothing in his possession, and no money.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. The guild would help him…and his friends. But he didn't want to burden them. Or scare them.

Natsu walked through the forest, desperate to get to the pond. Once he reached it, he gradually lowered himself into the water and let the coolness soothe his burned skin. He wasn't sure how much more he'd be able to handle.

And what was he going to tell his friends? They couldn't know about his situation, especially Gray. He'd undoubtedly rub how weak Natsu was in his face. And he didn't want that.

Natsu pulled himself out of the water and shook himself dry, much like a dog would. Normally he'd use his flames, but he didn't have the energy. That and the fact he was becoming fearful of his own magic.

He knelt down toward his pack and began searching for clothes. He pulled out a pair of pants, shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt…to hide the burn marks. Getting dressed and readjusting his scarf, he pressed his back up against the rough trunk of a tree. Natsu slid down until he was seated on the equally rough ground.

He didn't want to feel this hopeless. But given how the evening was going, that was all he could feel.

And Gray didn't help his situation one bit.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	2. Chapter 2

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I know I made Gray a jerk! *sob* But it'll just make his character growth all that more appealing! Gray's in for one heck of a journey, but so is Natsu!

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Gray stared at the ceiling from his bed. He was starting to feel guilty for yesterday evening. Sighing to himself, gray sat up and decided to get ready get dressed in order to get to the guild. Maybe there was a mission available that would take his mind off his sudden remorse.

He soon headed out of his apartment and quickly made his way toward the guild. He'd be reaching it soon. And that meant he'd have to deal with the flamebrain. Would he tell everyone what happened yesterday? Would he confront him in the guild? The potential retaliation was something Gray couldn't predict and he didn't know why that made his so concerned.

What should he do?

Gray could only think of one option. He had to apologize to the flamebrain.

Of course, it wouldn't really be a _sincere_ apology. Just something to appease his conscience. A perfect plan, if he did say so himself.

Feeling more comfortable about going to the guild, Gray quickened his pace.

* * *

Gray sat at a table, the other members gradually trailing in to take a seat somewhere in hopes of getting breakfast from Mirajane. His blue eyes fixated on the door as he waited for the flamebrain to arrive, but as the minutes ticked by, so did his patience. What was taking that moron so long?

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Natsu walked through the door, ultimately avoiding eye contact with everyone…including his closest friends. Natsu slumped in a chair near the back of the guild, staring at the wall blankly.

"Good morning, Fairy Tail!" Makarov suddenly greeted cheerfully. "I hope all of you are all really well rested, because I have some big news! Who wants to guess what it is?"

What the fuck was this? A game show?

"You're retiring," said Cana with a belch.

"No," the man chuckled, waving his hand as if to dismiss the comment she'd made. "You'll be going on a guild trip this spring. It'll be mandatory."

The members' mood visibly dropped.

"Um, where are we going? And for how long?" Lucy piped up. A guild trip meant that they'd be away from home, which meant that all her savings would go to her rent since she wouldn't be on any missions.

"For two weeks, we'll be going to a spring camp where there are all sorts of activities for you to sign up for. You'll be paired up and each pair will be assigned their own cabin. And the food's included. There will be no cost to you whatsoever because you _have_ to go. This will allow us to become closer as a guild."

Natsu raised his head slightly, becoming just a bit more attentive. Free food and shelter for two weeks? That beat rummaging out in the woods. Hell, that was the greatest opportunity to come his way in a long time.

But could he handle it?

Well, maybe if he didn't use his magic, he wouldn't lose control. He really shouldn't have let his anger get the best of him in that café. Gray had just made him so angry, he'd let his flames loose without a second thought.

So if he didn't use his magic, maybe the trip would give him the chance to rest up and recuperate, and when they came back from the trip, he'd search for a job and earn enough to rebuild his and Happy's home. Yeah. He liked that idea.

Feeling a bit better about what was going to transpire, Natsu relaxed in his seat and sighed. Gray noticed this, and he was both curious and puzzled by the flamebrain's sudden reaction to this so-called trip. But it wasn't like he cared.

* * *

As soon as Makarov ended his speech, Gray made his move. "Hey, flamebrain."

Natsu froze.

"Are you sure you can go on this trip? Because I'm pretty sure you need to skill. We don't want you getting left behind and all," Gray taunted.

"Leave me the fuck alone," Natsu growled as he turned to face him. "Haven't you done enough?"

Gray clicked his tongue. "Talking back. What a shame."

"Don't fuck with me, Gray. I'm warning you."

Inching closer to the rigid dragon slayer, Gray bent his head down and stared at him with an evil glint in his eyes. "You know, flamebrain, I should be the one warning you. I already got you fired."

A fist suddenly collided with Gray's face, making him stagger back. Tears stung Natsu's eyes. "Why can't you just—"

"Natsu!"

The dragon slayer spun around, only to come face to face with Makarov. "I-I can explain—"

"Enough! I have had enough of you two being at each other's throats! When we go on this spring trip, you two _will_ be paired up and you will do _everything_ together. If not, I will make sure that the two of you do _not_ make S-rank," the man snapped.

Natsu felt as if his freedom had been snatched away from him again. And it was too much. He couldn't prevent the tears that suddenly ran down his cheeks. "Excuse me," he gasped as he fled the guild.

Makarov and Gray watched him go, both of them stunned and concerned about the dragon slayer's reaction to the situation.

"Can you two be _civil_ on this trip?"

"Whatever," Gray mumbled as he, also, left the guild. Just what had been the flamebrain's problem? Why had he cried? Because he had to room with him? No, that couldn't be the reason…could it? And—

Wait. Why was he thinking about this? He didn't care about the flamebrain. But if that were true, why did he feel a tiny sliver of concern? Especially after the flamebrain had hit him! He should be angry because he'd hit him! However, his thoughts had immediately gone to what that stupid idiot was feeling. Just what the hell was wrong with him today?

Trying to clear his head, he brushed off everything he was feeling and continued walking down the streets of Magnolia, his stoic persona returning, giving him the visage he was known for. He'd give the flamebrain his space for the rest of the week, but when they went on their trip, he'd seek his revenge.

* * *

Four in the fucking morning was far too early for anyone to be up. And that was just the meeting time at the train station before they went on their guild trip to _spring camp_. What a joke. Like anyone really wanted to spend two weeks of their lives bonding with guild members.

More than half the guild looked like they were sleeping standing up as they waited for the tain to arrive. The only one who _didn't_ seem fazed by being up this early was Gray. And that was really starting to piss Natsu off.

Natsu looked over at where the ice mage stood. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But then he also had to share a cabin with Gray. They'd be living together under the same roof. What the dragon slayer had hoped would be a nice time to relax and recuperate was turning into a time for stress and the unknown. Especially since Gray had made no move to even look his way. Was the ice mage up to something or had he just decided to not waste his time with him?

His thoughts were soon interrupted, however, when Makarov decided to come his way. "Natsu, a word if you will," he said, practically dragging him over to Gray. Just what the hell did this guy want now?

"Gray, I'd like to speak to the both of you before we go on this trip," started Makarov. "I spoke things over with the camp coordinators about the…relationship between you and Natsu and we've come to a consensus on how to get the two of you to bond, for lack of a better word."

"Bond?" Gray echoed, eyebrow raised. Was this man insane? He wasn't going to _bond_ with the damn flamebrain! No way in hell!

" You and Natsu will be on a completely different schedule than everyone else. Sure, you'll all share your meals together along with your free time, but we want to ensure that the activities the both of you do are…well…safe."

"What the hell? We can't choose what we want to do?" Natsu exclaimed. That meant he wouldn't be able to hang out with Happy and Lucy. He had to hang out with _Gray_ instead. This wasn't fair!

"You can't do that!" Gray snapped at the man.

"Oh! And the two of you will also be sitting together on the back of the train," added Makarov. "We'll start your bonding time early. Once everyone's seated, I'll pass out the list of activities and a blank schedule to the other guild members, and I'll provide the both of you with your completed schedules, all right? This is going to be fun, boys."

And with that, Makarov walked away to socialize with the other guild members, leaving a very stunned Gray and Natsu in his wake.

The ice mage clenched his fists, visibly shaking from rage. No one had the right to create a schedule for him! _He_ was the one who needed to be in control of the choices made that affected his life! Oh, yes. Someone would pay.

Natsu sighed and started tugging on his hair. What was he going to do? He knew this had seriously pissed off the ice mage, and Gray would undoubtedly take his anger out on him. He was definitely going to be in for it.

"All right, everyone! The train is here! Everybody load up!" cried Makarov, beckoning them over to the train.

Slowly trudging to the back of the train, Natsu took a seat on the right, next to the window. At least this way he'd be able to keep throw up out the window when the train moved. Gray sat next to him, keeping as much space between them as possible.

And after everyone was seated, Makarov passed out the schedules. When Natsu and Gray received theirs, they quickly scanned it over.

* * *

 _ **Daily Schedule**_

 _8:00 AM – Wake-Up_

 _8:30 AM – Gather Outside for Announcements_

 _8:45 AM – Breakfast_

 _9:45 AM – Yoga_

 _10:45 AM – Nature Hike_

 _11:45 AM – Arts and Crafts_

 _12:45 PM – Lunch_

 _1:45 PM – Rest Period_

 _2:00 PM – Ping Pong_

 _3:00 PM – Cooking_

 _3:50 PM – Snack_

 _4:10 PM – General Swim_

 _5:00 PM – Shower Hour and Free Time_

 _6:30 PM – Gather Outside for Announcements_

 _6:45 PM – Dinner_

 _7:45 PM – Evening Activity with the Entire Group_

 _9:00 PM – Free Time_

 _10:00 PM – Lights Out_

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," mumbled Natsu. _Yoga_? They were being forced to do _yoga_? The rest…he could really care less, but _yoga_? He glanced over at Gray to see what his reaction was to their so-called schedule…and it wasn't pretty. The ice mage's hands were shaking so badly, Natsu was surprised the poor paper didn't rip in half.

Suddenly, the train made a jolt, ultimately sending Gray into a now nauseated Natsu. Their bodies pressed together a bit _too_ closely for their liking, but they were too stunned to do anything else but stare at each other.

"You two look like a couple," Happy observed. He'd turned around in his seat to look at them, a contemplative expression on his face.

Both teens were horrified by the statement and quickly pushed themselves away from one another as fast as they could. They even looked away from each other, determined not to say _anything_ about Happy's comment.

Another wave of nausea hit Natsu and he shoved his head out the window.

"Turn around and sit back down in your seat," Gray quipped. He was _not_ pleased. Saying that they looked like a couple. What utter nonsense. Like he'd ever think of the flamebrain that way. Thank goodness no one else had heard that statement. Otherwise he'd never live it down. It'd have been too embarrassing to even comprehend their reaction.

This was going to be one hell of a guild trip.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	3. Chapter 3

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I don't know why I threw yoga into the schedule of our two boys. I just thought it'd be funny!

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Natsu swallowed the bile rising in his throat. They'd been on the train for about eight hours. With the exception of two quick— _very_ quick—stops at two random stations, they hadn't stopped. Where the hell was this camp anyway? In an unknown region of the world?

Glancing back out the window, Natsu realized the scenery had taken an immediate change. The landscape was now covered in dense woods, and it was dark and pretty creepy—like some camping horror story or something. And he hadn't seen a house for at least an hour. At _least_. If the scenery was like this, there was no telling what the condition of the camp would be in. It probably wasn't even on any map.

The train gradually began to slow as it pulled into a station that looked abandoned. Well, this wasn't making Natsu feel any better.

Eventually, they came to a stop and stumbled out of the train. Natsu had to resist kissing the ground; he was glad to be in steady land again.

Once everyone was out of the train, they gathered together and started heading toward the camp. Natsu had to admit, he was quite surprised. It appeared brand new and had so many buildings and structures—even a huge lake—that the dragon slayer was rendered speechless. Makarov then headed toward the front of the group and began to address them.

"We'll soon take a quick tour of the camp. Then we'll have lunch and you'll be assigned to your cabins. You'll stay there until dinnertime today and after dinner, you'll return to your cabins. Lights should be out at ten. You'll begin your official daily schedule tomorrow, is that understood?"

The guild members nodded, eager to get started since they'd been sitting for so long. As soon as Makarov began walking, everyone quickly followed, stretching their limbs as they did so.

Natsu grabbed his bag as soon as he found it. Tossing it over his shoulder, he waited for the tour to begin.

The camp was a lot bigger than everyone had originally thought. With the lake being in the center, the mens' cabins rested on one side while the womens' resided on the other. There was a Lodge where they'd take their meals, campfire spots, a health center, and other buildings that served as focal points for the camp.

There were also athletic facilities that sponsored many activities. The waterfront was also something spectacular: a large, heated pool and a private, spring-fed lake with separate dock systems for swimming and boating. However, the arts area was phenomenal as well.

And then there was the outdoor adventure: an extensive ropes course with twenty-four high and low elements, a 300-foot zip line, and two 28-30 foot high climbing structures with five varied climbing fences.

There was so much amazing stuff to do here!

But Natsu and Gray would get to do _none_ of it since they'd been put on such a boring schedule that the only action they'd see would probably be having meals. Either that or Gray being attacked by a Vulcan on their Nature Hike. One could hope, right?

Natsu's stomach gave a loud growl, signaling that he needed food…and he needed it now. He hadn't eaten that morning and he was desperate for food now. And thankfully, the tour was over. Which meant it was lunchtime!

They headed over to the Lodge where they'd be having their meals for the duration of their camp experience. Upon entering, Natsu was slightly disappointed by its appearance. Everyone gathered in a line, eager to fill their stomachs with food. With a camp that looked like this, they were bound to have some good grub.

By the time Natsu discovered what they were having, he was having second thoughts. Staring at the plate that had been placed on his tray, he counted five chicken wings. Like that was going to fill him up. Stepping forward, he wandered over to the buffet looking thing. Hopefully there would be something more there to fill his empty stomach.

There was a salad bar with all sorts of vegetables, dressings, cheeses, hummus, and yogurt. Pass. Soy nut butter and jelly. Double pass. Fresh fruit. Triple pass. And grilled cheese sandwiches. Grumbling to himself, Natsu placed a couple grilled cheese sandwiches on his tray, along with a handful of croutons, an apple, and a small thing of milk. Beggars couldn't be choosers. Perhaps dinner would be better?

Gravitating over toward his friends, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, making him flinch.

"You have an assigned seat, Natsu," announced Makarov. He pointed to a small table on the far side of the room. "Both you and Gray will share your meals together over there."

"What? But…that means I won't get to spend any time with anyone else," protested the dragon slayer. His only chance of spending time with them now was on the off chance that they'd pick an activity that went along with his schedule. Or if he was allowed to spend his free time with them.

"You're here to bond with Gray," stated Makarov firmly. "You want to reach S-rank, don't you?"

"Yes," Natsu sighed in defeat.

"Good," he replied, patting the dragon slayer on the back.

It just wasn't fair. Why couldn't anything go right for him? It was like he'd be stuck with Gray 24/7!

Maybe he would have been better off ditching this trip and hanging around the woods around his house. No. He couldn't think like that. He had to look at the positives. He was going to have a roof over his head, a bed to sleep in, three meals a day, and he could bathe in water that was actually warm!

With the prospects looking up, Natsu sat down at the table he'd been _assigned_ to. A few minutes later, an aggravated Gray sat down with him, Happy right on his heels.

"This camp looks so cool! I'm glad I got to come, Natsu," started Happy cheerfully.

"It sure does, Happy," said Natsu, pleased that the Exceed decided to join them.

Gray grunted. Personally, he just wanted to get to their cabin and lose himself in his thoughts until dinner. Bonding be damned.

* * *

After lunch, Happy snuck away with Gray and Natsu and went to find their cabin. It took them forever to find the stupid thing. For some reason, they'd been given the one _far away_ from all the others.

Gray eyed it in distaste. Who knew if this thing had been properly cleaned? Taking the key, he unlocked the cabin door and opened it, stepping inside cautiously. Well, it was a bit better than he'd expected.

There was one bed accompanied by two nightstands, a dresser, a long couch, a table with a few chairs, a cabinet that contained towels, extra blankets and pillows, and a door that probably led to the bathroom. He opened said door, his eyes inspecting everything. It was only a small shower with a toilet and a sink.

Natsu was very pleased with the place until a thought struck him. There was one bed, two people and an Exceed. And knowing Gray—

"I will take the bed. You sleep…wherever," Gray deadpanned, interrupting Natsu's thoughts.

"But there's room enough for you and Natsu. I can take the couch," commented Happy.

Before Gray could protest, Natsu interceded. "No. Gray can take the bed. You share it with Gray, Happy. I'll take the couch. It's okay."

"But—"

"Happy, it's fine," Natsu insisted. There was no way he would be selfish enough to deprive Happy of a spot on the bed. And besides, a couch beat the woods any day. Tossing his small bag onto the floor next to the couch, he plopped himself on it and started to relax.

"This bed smells like vomit!" Gray roared.

Natsu took that as his cue to avoid him. "I think I'm going to take a shower. Don't want stink up the place," he said jokingly as he grabbed his bag, a towel, and bolted for the bathroom. He shut the door and locked it.

This was bad. If Gray was uncomfortable, then that meant he'd focus his attentions elsewhere. Like on him!

His heart pounded at the thought of the ice mage tormenting him raced through his mind.

Natsu discarded his clothes and stepped into the shower. Turning the hot water on, he breathed deeply as his body warmed. When was the last time he'd showered in hot water? It had probably been a _long_ time, so this…was heavenly. Yes. This could be his heaven from now on, because he knew that as soon as he walked out that door, it would be hell.

* * *

Natsu glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for dinner. And he couldn't wait! He was starving! As he rose from the couch, he chanced a glance at Gray and Happy. The Exceed was sitting on the bed playing a card game—most likely Solitaire—while Gray glared at the far side of the cabin.

"Maybe we should head over to the Lodge," suggested Natsu hesitantly. "It's almost time for dinner."

"Dinner?" Happy exclaimed, his head popping up. He jumped off the bed and headed for the door. "Come on, Natsu! I'm hungry! I hope there's fish!" And with that, he left.

Natsu made to follow, but Gray's voice stopped him. "Flamebrain," the ice mage called, walking toward him with an evil glint in his eyes.

"What do you want?" _Please, just leave me alone. All I want to do is eat and then crash for the night_ , he thought to himself.

Gray's fist soon came in contact with the dragon slayer's midsection, making him hunch over while gasping in pain. Gray then stomped out of the cabin. "You need to work on your blocking."

Natsu collapsed onto his knees. His midsection was never going to heal properly at this rate. Gray had hit one of his burns. Fighting the urge to throw up, the dragon slayer got to his feet and gingerly left the cabin, making his way up to the Lodge. By the time he got there, nearly everyone had been served.

Getting into the fairly short line, Natsu shakily grabbed his tray, trying to ignore the pain. Taking a few calming breaths, he smiled at the woman who placed a chicken pot pie on his tray. Moving over to the buffet spot, he glanced over it. Again, there was soy nut butter and jelly, fresh fruit, and the salad bar. But there were also a couple new additions. There was a pasta bar with tomato sauce and fresh dessert.

He made himself a small salad with dressing, took a bit of pasta with sauce, and grabbed two chocolate chip cookies. Hoping that his meal would go peaceably, he wandered over to the table he had to share with Gray. Happy was present, too. Sitting delicately in his seat, he soon dug into his food.

"Could you be any messier?" Gray taunted. "It's like you were raised by wolves."

Natsu stopped eating and turned his hurt-filled eyes to the ice mage. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" he asked softly. "I don't like our situation any more than _you_ do. I won't get in your way if you just leave me _alone_."

"You'll always be in my way. Just your presence is enough to make me despise you," the ice mage replied.

Knowing he was too exhausted to win, Natsu looked back down at his food. His stomach churned, but he didn't know if it was from the pain or knowing that Gray was bent on breaking his spirit on this trip. It was probably both.

Losing his appetite, Natsu stood up and went to find Makarov. When he did, he tapped the man on the shoulder. "Is it okay if I go back to the cabin now? I'm not feeling too good."

"Huh? Oh. I guess that's all right. Did you at least eat dinner? I saw that you were the last to arrive," replied Makarov.

"I'm not hungry."

Makarov grew concerned. He liked to think he knew the dragon slayer very well, and him not being hungry was sending red flags. "Do you feel sick?"

Natsu subconsciously crossed his arms over his stomach, becoming tense. "Can I just go? Please?"

"All right," Makarov relented. "But if your condition worsens, come find me or go to the health center."

"I will. Thanks," Natsu said before leaving the Lodge. He quickly made his way down to the cabin and threw open the door. Slamming it behind him, he rushed into the bathroom and spewed all the contents in his stomach into the toilet. When his heaving ceased, he flushed and moved over to the sink to rinse out his mouth.

As he left the bathroom, he walked over to the cabinet, grabbed a pillow and a couple blankets, and turned the couch into a makeshift bed. Lying down, he found that he could stretch out comfortably; that was an unexpected bonus. Resting his head on the pillow, he pulled the blankets over himself and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would soon take over and that tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hm. I'm realizing I've made Gray quite violent without any provocation. Oops?

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 _ **8:00 AM – Wake-Up**_

Gray nearly flew out of bed when he heard a very loud and annoying song blaring through the air. Was this supposed to be their fucking wake-up call? Covering his ears, he waited until the noise ceased before kicking off his blankets. As he peered around the room, he noticed that Happy was blearily waking up and that the flamebrain…was gone?

Upon closer inspection, the ice mage realized that the pillow and blankets that had been on the couch _with_ the flamebrain were gone also. But his bag was still there. Curiosity getting the better of him, he reached down for the bag, only to have Happy snatch it away from him.

"Leave Natsu's stuff alone. It's not yours!" Happy exclaimed. "Natsu's a really nice person. You just need to get to know him."

"I don't _want_ to get to know him. Flamebrain's a waste of my time," Gray replied curtly.

"If he's such a waste of your time, why do you keep picking on him?"

The ice mage was saved from answering when the sound of a door opening and shutting became apparent. So the flamebrain had been in the bathroom, had he?

"We need to be out there in time for announcements," Natsu started. "You might want to get dressed and make your beds."

"And why would I resort to making a bed?" Gray inquired haughtily.

"Because the camp coordinators will be inspecting the cabins while we're listening to announcements," the dragon slayer replied. "If the room isn't clean, we'll get in trouble."

"And you know this how?"

"I read the back of our schedule," Natsu answered bluntly before heading out the door, already fully dressed.

Gray's eye twitched. How dare the flamebrain make a fool of him!

* * *

 _ **8:30 AM – Gather Outside for Announcements**_

Makarov stared at the half-dozing guild members and smiled. "Good morning!" he greeted cheerfully. "I hope all of you had a good night's sleep. Today is our first official day of camp, which means you should have picked out your activities by now. If not, you can make the final arrangements over breakfast.

"I'll be passing out maps of the camp for all of you, too. We don't want anyone getting lost. There will be a camp coordinator at each location, so if there are any problems or questions, feel free to ask the person in charge. And with that, I wish all of you a good day."

Natsu sighed in relief. It was over and he could finally get some breakfast. To be honest, he didn't have much of an appetite, but he knew he had to eat _something_. He'd felt weird ever since last night. And this morning he'd woken up dizzy. The dizziness had gone away after awhile, but a headache soon took its place.

"Natsu, I'd like to speak to both you and Gray again before we head off for breakfast," called Makarov as he jogged over to him. When he reached the dragon slayer's side, they started walking toward Gray. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," Natsu lied through his teeth. "Maybe the motion sickness from the ride just hit me harder than usual."

Makarov didn't look convinced, but he let it slide for now since they'd reached the ice mage. "You two have looked over your schedule, correct?"

They both nodded in response.

"Good. I'll have you know that we're not letting you venture off alone. I know how you two react to each other far too well, so I'll be with you every step of the way. Consider me your chaperone for the time being."

Natsu mentally groaned. How long was he going to keep babbling?

"Oh! Sorry about that. Sometimes I just start rambling. Well, let's go to breakfast, shall we?"

* * *

 _ **8:45 AM – Breakfast**_

It was official. Their camp was going to be cheap when it came to food.

Natsu stared down at his tray, which held a bowl of cereal, some milk, and a banana. Well, it was better than nothing—and he knew _that_ far too well.

The dragon slayer poured the milk over his cereal, pushed it around a bit with his spoon, and then ate some. It wasn't too bad. And taking that mouthful seemed to trigger his stomach; it growled.

Devouring his breakfast, he sat back in his seat, letting his eyes linger on Gray and Happy, who were still eating theirs. At least, Happy was eating. Gray just…prodded it.

"Gray, you're not going to eat for at least another three hours. Just eat it."

"Why don't you just shut your damn mouth?" the ice mage snapped, placing his spoon down next to his bowl. He crossed his arms and sat back in his seat.

Natsu sighed. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

 _ **9:45 AM – Yoga**_

Gray glared as he was forced to stand—barefoot—on the yoga mat he'd been given by Makarov. There was no way in hell he was doing this. No way.

"All right, boys," started the man, "today we'll learn Downward-Facing Dog. And trust me. It'll help you to relax."

 _Relax, my ass_ , Natsu thought.

"First, you'll come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.

"Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

"Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees, but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of the pelvis.

"Firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two points, lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms; don't let it hang."

After Makarov demonstrated the pose, he motioned for Gray and Natsu to do the same.

Natsu relented. He wasn't in the mood to receive a lecture and he was tired of worrying about what Gray would say to him every two seconds. Making the _best_ out of his current situation was all he could pretty much do. So he decided to do as Makarov instructed and did the Downward-Facing Dog.

"It just figures you would—"

"For someone who hates me so much, you sure do like trying to get my attention," the dragon slayer interrupted.

And for once in Gray's life, he was rendered speechless.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I know some of you may not be too fond of how I've portrayed Gray and Natsu. I understand! Believe me! I just wanted to play around with an idea and I wanted to experiment a little with character growth. Although, I must admit I went to the far ends of the character spectrum, but I want to see how I can play this out and make Gray and Natsu change.

Now for some drama!

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 _ **10:45 AM – Nature Hike**_

Why did what the flamebrain said make him so uneasy? He wasn't trying to get his attention…was he? But then, he _did_ single him out a lot just to pick a fight with him. He just liked getting a rise out of Natsu; that was all. However, the dragon slayer wasn't fighting back like he normally would have. He seemed almost…docile.

Gray came to an abrupt halt on the trail when Natsu suddenly stopped and clutched his chest. What the hell was he—

The ice mage panicked when Natsu suddenly fell to his knees, his complexion becoming pale while his breathing became labored.

"Master!" Gray yelled, drawing the attention of Makarov as he knelt beside the dragon slayer. "Natsu, what's wrong?"

The dragon slayer just pushed him away and tried to stand up. "Nothing."

"Hey, easy there," said Makarov, coming to Natsu's side. "What's going on? Talk to me."

"I just felt a little short of breath. That's all. I'm fine now," Natsu insisted.

"Natsu." Makarov's tone sounded like a scolding.

The dragon slayer just shook his head and stared at the ground. He was fine now, so why couldn't he just be left alone?

"We're going to cut this trip short. Let's head back to camp," said Makarov as he helped Natsu up. He stayed with him the whole way back with Gray trailing behind them.

The ice mage stared at their retreating forms, thoughts racing through his mind. What was wrong with Natsu? He wasn't sick, was he? His mind racing, he started putting the pieces together.

It had all started with Natsu getting kicked off his last mission. And when they'd gotten here, Gray had been unnaturally cruel to him, especially when he'd punched the dragon slayer in the stomach. Natsu hadn't eaten dinner, and by the time he and Happy returned to the cabin, the dragon slayer had already gone to sleep. In addition to all that, Natsu had been out of it all day.

This was all that he knew. But still, no conclusion came to him. What was wrong with him? A nagging voice in the back of his mind told him that it was his fault. Perhaps that was guilt? _True_ guilt? Maybe…he should ease up a bit and give Natsu time to get over whatever this was.

* * *

 _ **11:45 AM – Arts and Crafts**_

Even though most of the guild members were present, Natsu found that he really didn't want to be with anyone. So he'd opted for sitting in a corner with a table filled with drawing materials. Grabbing some paper, he started sketching with art charcoal. When someone pulled out a chair and sat next to him, he paused.

The dragon slayer looked up, his eyes meeting blue ones. "How…are you doing now?" Gray asked.

"Why? You want to make it worse?" Natsu retorted.

Getting pissed, Gray rose from his seat, the chair toppling over and slamming to the ground as the ice mage stormed off. The clattering sound stunned Natsu for a moment before he relaxed. For a minute there, he thought Gray was going to hit him; he didn't have the strength to handle that right now.

Turning his attention back to his sketch, he continued to draw, his mind swimming with anticipation. He didn't want to anger Gray anymore. What could he do to make him leave him alone? Natsu hated the fact that Gray kept disrupting the moments that _should_ be letting him relax. It was almost as if the ice mage's presence was a bad omen. And he really believed that. Because bad things kept happening to him whenever Gray was around.

Or so it seemed.

Natsu gasped, freezing instantly when he felt a hand on his back.

"What are you so jumpy for?" asked Makarov, picking up the chair that had been knocked over and sitting in it.

"You just…scared me." The dragon slayer decided to at least be honest this time.

"Hm. Are you feeling all right?" The man reached out and placed a hand on Natsu's forehead, feeling his temperature. It felt unnaturally cool. "I'm concerned. It's not like you to lose your appetite, and on top of that, get fatigued. Are you having any other symptoms?"

Natsu wasn't used to anyone being this concerned about his health. He didn't know what to do. "It's fine. I've had worse stuff happen than this. I'm okay."

Makarov sighed. "Natsu," he said, "if you need to talk to me about _anything_ , I'm here for you, okay? Just because I'm the master of the guild doesn't mean I don't care for my members. You are all my children. So if something's wrong, tell me. Let me help you."

"I…" Natsu wanted to blurt his guts out about everything, but decided against it. What could Makarov do to help his situation, really? _He_ didn't even know what was going on with himself.

Knowing full well that the dragon slayer wouldn't utter a word—at least for now—Makarov stood and patted the teen on the head. "That's a nice drawing, by the way."

Natsu gripped the charcoal in his hand. He desperately wanted to tell someone what was going on. He wanted to blab everything: burning down his home, losing control over his magic, everything. But he thought that if he did so, everything would remain the same. He wanted help; he really did. The dragon slayer was just afraid that he wouldn't get it, so why keep his hopes up?

Looking back down at his sketch, his finger traced the outline of the woods he'd just drawn. The setting seemed to resonate peace…something Natsu really wanted to have. But he highly doubted he would get it anytime soon.

* * *

 _ **12:45 PM – Lunch**_

Lunch appeared to be a bit better than breakfast, albeit meatless. Natsu looked at his veggie pizza, milk, apple, vegetable soup, and salad. He had enough servings of vegetables on his plate to last him a week.

Poking the cheese on his makeshift pizza, the cheese popped and seemed to gurgle at him. When a salad looked more appetizing than pizza, something was seriously wrong. Vegetable soup it was. Tucking into his questionable meal, he noticed that Happy had a look of absolute horror on his face.

An Exceed + vegetables – fish = DISASTER

"Natsu? What is this?" Happy asked in disgust, stabbing his food with a fork as if he were trying to kill it.

"I'm…not sure," the dragon slayer replied honestly. To him, it looked like the pizza-thing was alive. "Do they have anything else on the buffet?"

"They only have the salad bar today," whined Happy, but then his eyes lit up. "I'm going to grab a bunch of croutons and some cheese." With that, he flew off.

Gray directed his attention to Natsu when he heard him sigh. He watched as the dragon slayer let go of his spoon and resorted to picking at the pizza crust. If the ice mage didn't know any better, he'd say Natsu had lost his appetite again. Inspecting Natsu's tray, he noticed that all he'd had was the salad and the milk.

Natsu jumped when a plate of salad appeared in front of him. His head shot up, his eyes meeting the indifferent gaze of Gray. "Here," said the ice mage.

"Why—"

"You need to eat _something_. Are you…not hungry?"

"Guess what I got?" Happy crowed as he sat back down in his seat with a plate full of grilled cheese sandwiches cut in the shape of fish. "They just put them out. I was the first one there, so I grabbed the best looking ones. And they look like fish!" Happy started passing grilled cheese to both Natsu and Gray.

"That's okay," said Natsu, refusing to accept the sandwich. "I'm good."

"Like hell you are," growled Gray, much to Natsu's surprise. "Now take a damn grilled cheese sandwich and eat it or I'll force the damn thing down your throat."

Natsu took the grilled cheese. He forced himself to eat about half of it and ate the salad Gray had given him.

And Gray wasn't very pleased about that.

* * *

 _ **1:45 PM – Rest Period**_

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, running up to him. "I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages. How's everything going with you and Gray?"

"You know. Same old, same old," the dragon slayer replied blandly.

"Well, I'll catch you later! Bye, Natsu!"

He stared after Lucy. Why was it that she had been the only one to seek him out after all this time? No one tried to approach him during their meals, and no one else had even offered to speak with him during the announcement. Some friends he had.

* * *

 _ **2:00 PM – Ping Pong**_

Natsu just wanted to lie down and sleep. Why did he feel so tired? He didn't even think he had the energy to even _lift_ a ping pong ball.

"Gramps, do you mind if I sit this out?" the dragon slayer asked. "I don't—"

"Go right ahead, Natsu. I know you're not feeling all that great, so just rest up. You can take a seat and watch if you'd like."

"Thanks," he replied, trudging over to an empty seat. He sat down just in time to see two unlikely people enter the room: Gajeel and Loke. Apparently, they didn't know what ping pong was, and neither Lucy nor Levy decided to enlighten them. So here they were.

"I challenge you!" started Gajeel, pointing at him with the paddle.

"Challenge accepted," conceded Loke. "Prepare to lose." Dropping the ping pong ball on the table, he hit it. The ball bounced on Gajeel's side of the table and…popped him in the eye.

"You did that on purpose!"

"Did I?" the celestial spirit taunted. He served the ball a second time and the same thing happened.

Gajeel, growing angry, was _determined_ to hit the ball. So when the ball hit his side of the table again, he was ready. Swinging with all his might—

He lost his grip, the paddle flying from his fingers as it hit Loke where the sun don't shine—unless you're actually outside and naked in the sun, but that's beside the point. Let's just say both of them never wanted to play ping pong ever again. It was far too dangerous.

* * *

 _ **3:00 PM – Cooking**_

Makarov led Natsu and Gray into the kitchen inside the Lodge. "Since you two have Cooking right before snack time, you'll be responsible for preparing the snacks for everyone. Today we'll be having fruit. Someone can wash and rinse while the other person peels and cuts, all right?"

The two mages nodded without any argument, and with that, Makarov left.

"You can wash," said Gray as he placed a chair in front of the sink. He beckoned Natsu to come over to it.

The dragon slayer eyed him warily. Was he going to try to pull the chair away when he sat down?

"I'm not going to do anything. Just sit down," the ice mage declared.

Natsu sat. Gray then brought him the giant bowl of fruit he was supposed to wash. After everything was set up, they started working.

"Why…are you suddenly being nice?" asked Natsu, keeping his eyes locked on the fruit.

"What makes you say that?"

"You haven't…been mean since this morning and it's just…I don't know," he sighed.

"Perhaps you're looking too much into things…flamebrain," Gray said, adding the insult as an afterthought.

Natsu frowned but kept quiet all the same. The ice mage didn't like that at all.

* * *

 _ **3:50 PM – Snack**_

"So, you boys ready for swimming after this?" questioned Makarov, a big smile on his face.

Natsu froze. Swimming? He paled slightly at the thought. Going swimming meant he'd have to take off his shirt. And there was no way in hell he was going to let everyone see the burns he had on his back caused by his…lack of control.

"I…I don't want to swim," the dragon slayer stated quietly.

"Huh? Why?"

"I just don't…l-like the water." Oh, like _that_ was going to work.

"So you can't swim?" How the hell did Makarov come to that conclusion? Hew knew how to swim. "That's fine. I can teach you."

Natsu shook his head. "No! I don't want to!"

"Okay, okay. You don't have to. But I at least expect you down by the lake."

"Fine."

* * *

 _ **4:10 PM – General Swim**_

Natsu sat underneath a large tree near the bank of the lake, shivering slightly. Why did he feel so cold all of a sudden? He was never cold. And it wasn't like it was chilly outside. What he wouldn't give for a jacket right about now.

"Why aren't you swimming with everyone else?"

The dragon slayer mentally groaned at hearing Gray's voice. "I could ask the same about _you_."

"That you could," the ice mage replied, sitting next to him.

He was tempted to lean into Gray's warmth. Was he really that cold? Natsu crossed his arms and rubbed them with his hands.

"Are you _cold_?"

"What if I am?" the dragon slayer answered bluntly.

Gray stared at him. He'd never witnessed Natsu claiming he was cold. Never. Things wre getting stranger by the minute. "Then why not sit out in the sun? You'd warm up out ther."

"It won't help."

"Why—"

"Would you just go away?" Natsu asked desperately. He really couldn't handle all these questions.

"Do you want me gone that badly?"

"Yes! I do!"

Taken aback by the dragon slayer's scream, he stood up and left, but not before glancing back at him. Natsu had his head resting against the tree, shivering every so often. Something wasn't right. And he was determined to find out the truth.

* * *

 _ **5:00 PM – Shower Hour and Free Time**_

Natsu dropped a pillow on the edge of the couch and laid down, pulling the blanket he'd just pulled out over himself. Getting warm had never been so difficult before. Maybe if he fell asleep, his body would right itself. Closing his eyes, he felt his consciousness slipping.

Gray and Happy arrived in their cabin the same time Natsu decided to fall asleep. And even in his unconscious state, the dragon slayer was still trembling.

"Is Natsu okay?" Happy asked in concern, looking at the dragon slayer worriedly.

"I don't know," the ice mage replied, opening the cabinet to withdraw another blanket.

He walked over to Natsu and draped the extra blanket over him. Gray stood there for a time before pushing the dragon slayer's bangs out of the way in order to feel his forehead. It didn't feel like he had a fever or anything; however, he did feel cold, and then he let his hand graze the rest of his face. When it came in contact with his nose, he found that it felt like it was frozen.

"Is there a fireplace in here or anything?" Gray asked Happy.

"Let me check." Happy searched the place and found nothing. "Do you want another blanket instead?"

"Yes." As Happy passed him one, he laid it over the sleeping dragon slayer. Staring at him for another minute, Gray decided to sit on the floor next to him. If Natsu's condition changed for the worse, he didn't care; he was going to get help.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	6. Chapter 6

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** It's been so long! And that's mainly been due to the fact that I had no idea where I was going with this chapter! Be prepared!

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _ **6:30 PM – Gather Outside for Announcements**_

Gray looked up at the clock. It was almost time for announcements, which meant he had to wake up Natsu. But he really didn't want to. And he wasn't fully aware why. The dragon slayer had finally settled down and he wasn't shivering anymore; however, the ice mage found himself feeling concerned.

Reaching out, he shook Natsu's shoulder. The dragon slayer opened his eyes, peering at him in confusion before slowly sitting up. Rubbing his eyes, he said, "What time is it?"

"Almost time for announcements," answered Gray.

Natsu looked down at the three blankets pooling around his lap. Three? He could have sworn he'd only grabbed one.

"Let's go," urged Gray. "Happy's already gone."

Nodding, the dragon slayer stood mutely and followed Gray out the door and toward their meeting place. Makarov noticed them and smiled. How did he have so much energy?

"I hope all of you have had fun today so far. I'd just like to inform you that the evening activity with the entire group will be watching a film on a lacrima screen. We'll meet there after dinner," announced Makarov, his eyes brimming with joy. The man had to be on something; he just had to be.

* * *

 _ **6:45 PM – Dinner**_

Natsu was almost too sleepy to even eat. He stared blankly at his food, which consisted of crispy chicken, roasted potatoes, vegetables of some sort, salad, and a chocolate cupcake with icing. At least there was meat this time around. Popping a potato into his mouth, he chewed it slowly. His jaw felt heavy and lethargic. How was he going to eat at this rate? Looking forlornly at his meal, he poked at it instead.

Gray had had enough. "I don't care if you don't feel well, but you need to eat something. If you really are sick, not eating will only make everything worse."

Worse? Natsu couldn't imagine feeling any worse.

"At least eat your chicken. You need to have something more solid in your system," continued the ice mage.

Not wanting to argue, Natsu started to eat his chicken. But he ate it so slowly that Gray wanted to pull his hair out strand by strand. Well, at least Natsu was _trying_ to eat. It was a start.

* * *

 _ **7:45 PM – Evening Activity with the Entire Group**_

Sitting down in a seat away from everybody else, Natsu thought that this would be the perfect time to take another nap. He was just so tired. All he had to do was close his eyes…

"Natsu?"

The dragon slayer felt himself being shaken awake. "Mm?"

"Hey, wake up. The film's over."

That was Gray's voice. Wait. The film was over? But he'd just shut his eyes. It was like time had been fast forwarded. Opening his eyes slowly, he peered at Gray, who was now hovering in front of him.

To the ice mage, Natsu looked confused…dazed, even. He took a step back when the dragon slayer slowly stood up, looking around the nearly empty room. When he placed a hand to his head and wobbled, Gray reached out and caught him before he fell.

"Natsu?" started Gray, trying to wake him. "Natsu?" He was starting to panic _really_ badly now.

"What happened?" Thank goodness Makarov was still here.

"He just fainted. I don't—"

"We'll take him to the health center. Can you carry him?"

Gray nodded, lifting Natsu bridal-style as he followed Makarov toward the health center. Makarov led him to a small room with a bed and told Gray to lay Natsu down. He did so, staring down at the dragon slayer uneasily as the man left to find help.

A few minutes later, Porlyusica returned with Makarov.

"I need to ask you to leave," said Porlyusica, ushering out the ice mage.

"But—"

"Don't worry. He's in good hands," commented Makarov.

Soon, Gray found himself standing outside the room, staring dumbfounded at the closed door. Just what the hell had happened?

* * *

After what felt like forever, Makarov said, "You're still here?"

"How is he?"

"Well, according to Porlyusica, Natsu's been holding in his magic. Which is probably why he's been feeling so cold. But that's not all. She found burns all over his body," said Makarov.

"Burns?" Gray echoed.

Makarov nodded.

"Did someone attack him? Did he get hurt on a mission and not tell anyone?"

"I'm afraid that's not the case. Natsu caused the burns."

"I don't understand."

Makarov sat down next to Gray. "I'm not sure I do, either. According to Porlyusica, Natsu's come of age as a dragon, or in this case, a dragon slayer. His magic power has fluctuated significantly, to that of a real dragon. His body isn't able to control this sudden onset of power."

Gray swallowed hard. "What does that mean? Is he going to be okay?"

Makarov averted his gaze and sighed. "Not exactly. Well, Porlyusica did mention a way to help him, but I'm not sure it will work."

"What is it? We have to help him!" Gray started, jumping to his feet. "Don't you care?"

"Do you?" Makarov turned his attention back to Gray. "Natsu's wellbeing may very well depend on you. So I'll ask you again. Do you care for Natsu?"

Gray stared at Makarov, his emotions conflicting with themselves. Of course he cared about Natsu, but the dragon slayer just made him so angry sometimes.

With everything that happened to them, how could Natsu continue living life with that ridiculous smile on his face when he himself couldn't even muster a small grin? He was jealous and angry that Natsu could just keep on smiling. Why couldn't he feel like Natsu felt? Carefree and happy? That's why he did what he did to Natsu. To make the dragon slayer feel as he did.

But…that didn't matter anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Gray looked Makarov in the eyes. "I do care about Natsu," he said earnestly.

Makarov gave Gray a small smile. "Then it might be worth a try."

"What do we need to do?"

"Natsu's fire magic is out control, to the point where he's burning himself with his magic. I think he's aware of this, so he's been trying to hold in his magic so that he doesn't have any magical outbursts. But that's been making his body temperature drop and putting him in a lethargic stasis. Much like a reptile," Makarov chuckled at the irony before clearing his throat.

"What he needs is someone to help keep his magic in balance. Someone with magic that is the opposite of his own…yet an equal," Makarov continued.

"Ice…magic," Gray stated, the pieces coming together. "When Natsu was asleep in the cabin, he was shivering. I gave him some more blankets, but I stayed next to him, and eventually his shivering stopped."

Makarov nodded in understanding. "It seems your magic has already connected with Natsu's."

"I'm willing to help Natsu at any cost," said Gray truthfully. _I owe him that much_.

At this Makarov looked saddened. "I'm afraid you don't realize what that cost truly is."

"What do you mean?"

"If you go through with this, you can never leave Natsu's side, at least not for very long. You'll always need to be near each other. The longer you are apart, the more out of control Natsu's magic will become. Your magic will keep him in balance.

"But if you refuse…Natsu's magic will go out of control and gradually destroy him from the inside out. I'm afraid no one else can connect with him at this point; his magic connected with yours when he came of age. I suppose it's because you're around each other so much."

Gray crossed his arms, a worried expression coming over his features. He'd have to stay with Natsu? All the time? And what did Makarov mean by their magic being connected?

"I'm not sure I fully understand, but I will try. For Natsu's sake, I'll try," said Gray.

Makarov nodded. _I'll tell you the rest when the both of you are ready._

"Can I…see him?" asked Gray unsurely.

"Absolutely. He's awake. A bit out of it, but I think he can have some company for now."

The ice mage followed Makarov back to the room where Natsu was. Sitting on the bed, looking nervous, was the dragon slayer. Gray felt relieved at seeing that he looked much better.

"You have a visitor, Natsu," said Makarov.

The dragon slayer looked up to see Gray. He mutely acknowledged his presence.

"Since you've had such a rough day, perhaps we should send you back to Magnolia," Makarov pondered aloud. "Gray can take you home. You can rest up there."

"No!" Natsu stammered, a look of fear in his eyes. "I can't…"

"Can't what?"

Gray watched the interaction apprehensively. Why was Natsu so scared?

"I can't…go there." He really wanted to tell Makarov the truth, but he was afraid of what might happen if he did.

Makarov sat on the bed and looked Natsu straight in the eyes. "It's okay. You can tell me. I told you already that I'll help you any way I can. I promise you that."

Tears stung Natsu's eyes, so he rubbed at them with the back of his hand. It was now or never. He just really hoped Makarov would keep his word. "I burned it down. And the nearby forest. I didn't mean to! I swear! I lost control! And now it's all gone. Happy wasn't there at the time. He's been staying with Lucy. No one else knows."

He burned his house down? "Where have you been staying then?"

Natsu averted his eyes. "The woods around Magnolia. Near where I…burned down our home."

"How long have you been staying out there?"

"…about two weeks."

The next question Makarov was about to ask was extremely important. Natsu's future depended on the answer. "How long have you been losing control over your magic?"

Gray felt his blood run cold when the dragon slayer said he'd been like this for two months. This revelation was something he hadn't expected. How had no one noticed? Gray couldn't help but feel like the scum of the earth. It wasn't like he'd made the situation any better for Natsu. But now, things were going to change.

Makarov patted Natsu on the head comfortingly. "And you haven't been on any missions outside of Magnolia for that long either?"

The dragon slayer nodded mutely and stared at the floor. What would happen to him now?

"You'll stay at the camp with everyone else until our two weeks are up," Makarov continued. "After that, I'll see to it we find you and Happy a new home. Would you be okay with that?"

Natsu's head shot up and he stared at Makarov with hope-filled eyes. "I…think I'd…like that."

"Good. Now, Gray, would you please help Natsu back to your cabin? I want him to remain in bed until further notice. We want him to get his strength back. And I'll go over all the details on how you'll be taking care of him later."

"Sure," said Gray.

Makarov, pleased with Gray's answer, chose that time to exit, leaving the two teens all alone. They stared at each other for a minute or two before Gray did something Natsu completely wasn't expecting.

"What are you doing?" the dragon slayer exclaimed as Gray suddenly lifted him bridal-style, carrying him out of the health center.

"What's it look like I'm doing?"

"Fine. Why are you doing it then?"

"Because…because I just am," Gray muttered, finally reaching their cabin. He set Natsu down on his feet and opened the door, only to be nearly run over by Happy.

"Natsu! Gray! Is everything okay?" Happy cried, inspecting the both of them.

Before the dragon slayer could answer, Gray cut in. "Natsu's not feeling too well. I took him to the health center and he was advised to take it easy, so let's make him comfortable. Can you find him some pajamas to wear?"

Natsu looked up at Gray unsurely as he was led further into the cabin. Happy then handed the pajamas to Gray which he then passed onto Natsu. "Take these and change."

"Okay," Natsu mumbled. He took the offered pajamas and headed into the bathroom to change. When he returned, he noticed that the couch had been moved next to the bed with a pillow and a few blankets. As he veered toward said couch, he soon found himself heading in another direction.

"I'm sleeping on the couch," Gray said softly. "You're taking the bed."

"But—"

"I put the couch right here so that if you need anything, I'm within your reach," he cut in. "I'm supposed to take care of you, aren't I? Now get in the damn bed before I toss your fucking ass into it."

Climbing into the bed, Natsu lay down, watching helplessly as Gray pulled the blankets over him. "Goodnight," the ice mage mumbled to him as he made himself comfortable on the couch.

Natsu sighed and thought over what had just transpired. How had things gotten this way? Gray was starting to be nice to him. Although…his bedside manner _could_ use a little work. But it was pleasant. The dragon slayer just wondered how long it was going to last.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	7. Chapter 7

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I hope you've appreciated the wait. Now deal with my strange mind.

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

The next morning, Gray quietly ushered Happy out of the cabin with him, leaving Natsu—who was still fast asleep—alone.

"I need to look after him today. Do you mind spending time with Lucy?"

"Sure. But are you going to be with Natsu all day?" When the ice mage nodded, Happy grew concerned. "Don't do anything bad to him. It looks like he's gone through enough."

Gray couldn't agree more.

* * *

Natsu opened his eyes and immediately shut them. Why did it have to be so bright? Narrowing his eyes to slits, he gradually adjusted to the sunlight beaming into the cabin. Adjusting to its vibrancy, he looked around his environment and noticed that he was alone.

 _Figures_ , the dragon slayer thought to himself. _I knew Gray didn't give a shit._ Hurt by this thought, Natsu pushed the blankets off himself, preparing to rise from the bed when the cabin door slammed open.

"Get back into bed," Gray snapped, stepping into the cabin with numerous items in his arms. He shut the door with his foot and set everything on the table before storming over to the stunned dragon slayer. He then pushed Natsu back down into the bed and pulled the blankets back over him. "I'll have your breakfast ready for you in a minute."

Confused by the ice mage's behavior, Natsu sat up some with his back pressed against the pillows. He watched as Gray started putting things together and brought them toward him. Setting said things down on the nightstand, Gray sat on the couch next to him.

"I don't know how much Master or Porlyusica told you, but I need to stay near you at all times," started Gray.

"Why?" Natsu voiced.

Gray cursed the old man for letting him deal with this in his own. "Porlyusica said that your fire magic has gotten out of control and that you magic somehow connected to mine. It'll help keep you balanced. Or something like that."

Natsu's eyes widened. "I _connected_ with you?" _That's_ what this was?! "I'm so sorry, Gray! I didn't mean to! Honest!"

The ice mage was startled by Natsu's sudden apologetic tone. "It's okay," said Gray, unsure as to why Natsu seemed so anxious.

"No! It's not okay! You didn't get a chance to…" Natsu's voice trailed off. How could he have been so reckless? He knew this was coming! Igneel had warned him!

"I didn't get a chance to what?" Gray asked, looking uneasy when it looked like Natsu was going to cry. "It's okay. You can tell me."

Natsu finally looked straight into Gray's eyes and noticed the concern hidden in their depths. "I…I can't," he stuttered before a tear slid down his cheek.

At this, Gray panicked. "Hey! It's okay! You don't have to tell me anything right now. Let's just focus on getting you better. We can talk about all this later. Just let me…take care of you…please," he begged. And he wasn't someone known for his begging.

Natsu rubbed at his eyes and nodded. Gray then placed a tray filled with food in front of him. Natsu stared at the contents: an omelet with cheese, sausage, milk, and an orange.

"Let's start with you eating breakfast," the ice mage stated.

"Um…thanks…Gray," replied Natsu, looking back down at his food. When he made no move to start eating, Gray grabbed his fork and prepared to feed him. "Hey! I can feed myself!"

Gray let a small smile slip out that stunned Natsu for a moment. Setting down the fork, he said, "Then eat. _All_ of it."

With Gray watching him like a hawk, that was pretty much all he _could_ do. When he finished, the ice mage took the tray away and returned, sitting on the couch as he had done so before.

"You…don't have to stay right here, you know. I can take care of myself in bed at least," said Natsu solemnly.

"A lot of good that did you before," Gray retaliated. _Shit_ , he thought. _The last thing I want to do is start an argument. He's in no condition to_ —

"You got me there," replied the dragon slayer, an amused yet sad look on his face.

"What…happened?"

"When? Before…or after the fire?"

Gray paused. "Both?"

Natsu sighed. This was going to be a long story. "About two months ago, I came of age."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I don't quite understand what that means. Coming of age?"

"Um, well, as Igneel put it, it's when dragons become adults."

"So you've just been a kid all this time?"

"Will you shut up and let me talk?"

"Sorry!"

"As I was saying," Natsu continued, "when dragons reach the age of adulthood, their body morphs into a fully grown dragon, complete with a full grown dragon's power. And normally other dragons are present to help the change complete successfully. They use their magic to maintain the increase of power of the full grown dragon so that their body can wield that power.

"If there are no other dragons present at the time the dragon comes of age, the dragon's magic power latches onto the closest magical power it senses as an equal to find balance…so that it doesn't go out of control. But once that connection is made, it can't be broken. And if the connection is stretched out too thin, the dragon's power goes out of control and harms the dragon."

"But…you're not a dragon," said Gray.

Natsu shrugged. "I am a dragon slayer. I have all the characteristics and powers of a dragon."

"But there were no dragons around when you came of age," Gray stated. "What about Gajeel…or Wendy? Couldn't they have helped you?"

"I wasn't around them at the time," Natsu said as he shook his head. "I was around you. Remember when we took that mission in the mountains with Erza and Lucy?"

"The one where we had to fight an ogre and it turned out there were twenty of them?" Boy had Erza given the guy who requested the mission an earful over that one.

Natsu nodded. "It happened then. I started…feeling funny. Like I had a fever. I didn't know what was going on at the time. We'd been split up, too, because we hadn't expected to encounter so many ogres. Erza, Lucy, and Happy went one way, and we went another. I remember…feeling hotter than normal and I think…maybe that's when I connected with you. You were the only one there and…I wish I'd realized what was going on before it was too late!"

"Natsu, it's not the end of the world. So your magic connected with mine. So what? As long as it keeps you safe, that's what matters, right?" interceded Gray.

The dragon slayer sighed. "You don't understand." Natsu seemed to be fighting with himself.

"Then make me understand," Gray pleaded. "I hate seeing you like this. I want to help you. I really do! But I can't if you don't tell me everything."

"You can't leave me anymore," said Natsu as tears stung his eyes, "or I'll die. Eventually, anyway. My life is literally in your hands. We're connected by our magic. We're stuck. You stay, I'm okay. You leave, I die. End of story."

"For…ever?" Gray asked quietly, realization dawning on him.

"Forever," Natsu whispered. "Or at least until you're sick of me."

Gray swallowed hard and looked at his…friend. "I would never get sick of you. If staying by your side is what it takes, then I'll stay by your side. Even if it is…forever."

"I really am sorry for all this, Gray."

Gray shook his head. This was a lot to take in. "You don't…need to be. It's not your fault. Can you…tell me what happened the day of the fire?"

Natsu leaned back in the bed and grimaced. "About two weeks ago, we had a fight like we normally do in the guild. But…I was just so mad that day that I used my magic in our fight. We hardly ever do that in the guild."

Gray remembered that fight. As soon as Natsu had hit him with his flaming fist, he left the guild. "What happened after you left our fight?"

"I went home," said Natsu. "And that's when everything went wrong. As soon as I went inside, my chest started to hurt and I could feel my temperature going up. Flames appeared around my body and spread so fast. I couldn't control it. Everything was burning! I was burning! It hurt so much! Fire's never hurt me before! But this time, I could feel it searing my skin!"

"Okay, okay. You don't need to think about the fire anymore," interrupted Gray when it seemed Natsu was reliving that moment. "What happened after that?"

"After that?" Natsu thought for a moment. "After that, I remember smelling smoke. I'd opened my eyes. I'm not sure if I'd passed out or what. But when I opened them, all I could see was the charred remains of our house. And I was covered in burns."

"Why didn't you ask anyone for help?" Gray couldn't understand why Natsu hadn't come to anyone.

"I was…afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Myself," said Natsu. "You have no idea what if feels like to have your control ripped away from you. I was afraid to use my magic after that. I felt that if I did, I would lose control again. I was afraid of hurting someone. I already hadn't gone on any missions outside of Magnolia for awhile because I didn't feel right. And losing control like that only confirmed that I shouldn't go on any missions that weren't nearby."

"That's why you'd taken the job at Magnolia Café," said Gray. "And I got you fired from that job."

"There aren't many jobs inside Magnolia that pay well. I was trying to survive off of what I could find at home."

"I'm…sorry I got you fired," Gray began slowly. "I didn't know what was going on."

"No one did. But don't get me wrong. I _do_ blame you for getting me fired, but the rest of what happened wasn't your fault."

"I know _that_ ," Gray quipped. "What happened after you got fired?"

Natsu winced. "I lost control again. In the woods." He shivered at the memory. "I accidentally let my flames loose on you at the café and lost control sometime after. That's when I tried to reel in my magic as much as I could. But I guess that backfired."

"Had I known what was going on, I wouldn't have—" He stopped himself from continuing.

"Wouldn't have what?" the dragon slayer asked, perturbed.

"Forget it," Gray mumbled in response, rising to his feet.

Natsu watched him enter the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. What had that been all about? Leaning back against the headboard, the dragon slayer relaxed. He felt a bit relieved about telling the truth.

But would he regret it?

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	8. Chapter 8

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for sticking with this story! Please review!

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Gripping the sink in his hands, Gray stared at himself in the mirror. What did he expect? It wasn't like things would get all happy-go-lucky just because he apologized. He'd seriously hurt Natsu emotionally during the time that he'd know him.

But…had he known what the dragon slayer was going through, he'd have never done what he did. He knew far too well what it was like to feel alone. Perhaps he should tell Natsu that. It might get the fire mage to open up, and they might be able to…bond.

However, it wasn't like Natsu was just going to disregard everything he'd done to him in the past. He'd only apologized to him about the job, not anything else. Giving the fire mage a sincere apology was more than likely the right way to start mending their relationship.

Wait…relationship? That sounded…odd.

"Gray!" Natsu's sudden scream startled him. What the hell was going on?

* * *

Natsu shrank back as far as he could as he stared down the raccoon sitting at the end of his bed. How long had the fucking bastard been under the damn bed? All the dragon slayer had done was reach down to pick up the pillow he'd knocked over and out scurried a raccoon. A fucking _raccoon_!

"What are you screaming for?" Gray asked as he reentered the main room of the cabin.

As soon as the ice mage made his reappearance, Natsu jumped from the bed and latched himself onto him. Pointing frantically at the bed, the other teen followed his gaze.

"Holy shit!" Gray hissed, placing his arms securely around Natsu as he made them back away from the curious mammal. Quickly leading the dragon slayer outside, he slammed the door to the cabin shut.

"Don't lock it in!" Natsu protested, shivering slightly from the drastic change in temperature.

Gray looked down at him, a surge of protectiveness overwhelming his senses. "Stay here."

"What're you gonna do?" the fire mage exclaimed. "You're not going after it, are you? What if it has rabies or something?"

Grabbing a large stick that was near the cabin, Gray turned back to face Natsu. "Are you concerned for my wellbeing?"

"Is there something wrong with me not wanting you to get hurt?"

"No. You just took me by surprise," the ice mage replied absently. He reached for the door, but was interrupted by Natsu.

"Be careful," he cautioned.

For some reason, those two words made him feel…strange, for lack of a better word. And he wasn't quite sure what it was. Oh, well. He'd figure that out later. Right now, he had a raccoon to deal with.

Natsu couldn't believe that Gray actually went back inside the cabin to face off against a raccoon. If he'd had a video lacrima, he surely would have recorded it. But he was—in actuality—too scared and too cold to care.

A few minutes of crashes and curses later, the raccoon bolted from the cabin and took off into the woods. Gray returned as well, holding a mangled stick which he threw off to the side.

"Are you okay? It didn't bite you or anything?" Natsu asked, inspecting the visible parts of Gray's body. The ice mage shook his head. "Why'd you use a stick and not magic to get rid of the raccoon?"

Gray paused and stared at him for a full minute before responding. He actually hadn't thought of it. "Whatever. It's all clear. You can go back inside now."

Taking a hesitant step forward, Natsu peeked into the cabin before moving all the way inside. But when something fell over and landed on the floor, the fire mage made to run for the door, only to crash into Gray.

Reaching out to steady him, the ice mage stared down at Natsu's quivering form. He placed his arms around the dragon slayer and pulled him into a gentle hug. He just stood there, embracing Natsu in order to provide him with the comfort and security he desperately needed. This close contact finalized his decision; he now knew where he wanted to go from here in this relationship. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"For someone who acts so tough, you sure are jumpy," Gray chuckled.

His laughter startled Natsu at first. He'd never heard the ice mage being utterly amused before, but when he realized it was at his expense, the dragon slayer grew angry. Pushing Gray away from him, he crossed his arms. "Who asked you?" he spat.

What was the fire mage doing to him? Why did he enjoy seeing the pout on his face or the way his lip jutted out when he did so? Was he attracted to him? If so…had he always felt this way or was it something new entirely? Perhaps taking the time to actually talk and not fight would reveal more.

"I saved you from the raccoon, remember?" Gray taunted childishly.

"Yeah, I remember," Natsu grumbled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, you should probably get back into bed. You've had a rough few days and you need your rest."

Clambering back into the bed, Natsu pulled the covers back over himself and stared up at the ceiling looking bored. It somewhat deterred Gray that the fire mage had done what he'd said without protest. Taking a seat on the couch next to him, the ice mage propped his feet up on the edge of the bed.

"You're really staying with me?" Natsu asked, surprised. When Gray nodded, he continued. "Then can we do something? I'm bored."

"What would you like to do?"

"Can we talk?"

"Aren't we doing that already?"

"You know what I mean!" Natsu snapped.

Smirking, Gray decided to give into his request. "What would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know."

The ice mage glared at him. Of all things, he hadn't expected that. Whatever. He could do small talk. It was easy. "Why did you want to deal with all this alone?"

Apparently, that was the wrong question to ask, because Natsu's expression immediately became grim. Perhaps this wasn't a topic for small talk.

"Why do you want to know?" the dragon slayer asked quietly.

Sighing, Gray stared at him fully. "Because I might…personally know a thing or two about dealing with things alone. And I was wondering why you never sought help. Everyone at the guild cares about you a great deal."

"They haven't come to visit me, though, have they? It's like ever since we got here, they've been avoiding me. I don't know. Maybe they're too caught up in all the activities."

"Is that why you never told anyone? You thought we would avoid you? Or be too caught up in our own lives to pay you any mind?"

"I…guess so. I'm not sure. None of you ever asked _why_ I wasn't going on any missions for two months."

Gray frowned.

"But Gramps knows now. So that's good…right?" Natsu asked unsurely.

"Right…and if you need any…help—with anything—you can…you can count on me," replied Gray unsurely. He knew this statement would change the course of their relationship, which had been practically founded on hate. But now, they'd found a common ground, and the ice mage was ready to explore it.

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't hate you like you think I do." _At least I know that I don't hate you like I thought I did. It's something else._

"I think I might feel the same way," Natsu replied with a yawn.

Gray chuckled again. "Get some sleep. I'll be here if you need anything."

The fire mage snuggled down into the bed, a small smile on his face. He couldn't help it. Those words meant a lot to him and more. It let him fall asleep without the fear of anything bad happening to him.

* * *

Happy tried to stifle his laughter as he watched Gray try to wake Natsu up, which was turning out to be impossible. As soon as Gray had tried to shake the dragon slayer awake, Natsu had instantly grabbed the ice mage and latched onto him like he was some kind of giant teddy bear.

Gray grumbled as he tried to get out of the fire mage's tight grip. It was like he was glued to him or something.

"Natsu, wake up," he ground out. The dragon slayer didn't budge. "Flamebrain!"

"Huh?" Bleary eyes soon opened, and they widened when the person belonging _to_ those eyes realized he was hugging Gray. "Oh! Sorry!" he exclaimed, releasing him and scrambling away.

"It's…fine," replied the ice mage. "I brought you some dinner. And after you've finished eating, you'll get dressed and we'll go."

"Go? Go where?"

"Master wants us all to do some stupid group activity. And this evening, it's sitting around a campfire and listening to stories," grumbled Gray.

"Um…okay. So, uh, what's for dinner?" the fire mage asked timidly, hoping Gray wouldn't lash out at him because of some event the master had planned.

Happy bounded over and placed a tray of food in front of him: steak teriyaki, rice, mixed vegetables, salad, and watermelon. Not bad. Digging into his food, Natsu watched as Gray started rummaging through his luggage.

A few minutes later, Natsu had finished eating—his appetite was back and he was hungry again—and Gray waltzed over to him and tossed something at him. It was a jacket.

"It's supposed to be cool this evening. When we leave, put this on. Master also informed me that you need to stay warm. Now that you've finished eating, go change and we'll get going."

The fire mage stared down at the jacket, running his hands over it delicately as he rose from the bed. Tossing it over his arm, Natsu reached for his bag and headed into the bathroom. He cleaned himself up and changed into a fresh set of clothes before slipping the jacket on. It was warm, comfortable, and even smelled like Gray. And that brought a smile to his face.

His eyes widened. Wait! He was smiling because it smelled like Gray? Apparently, he was a lot sicker than he'd thought! Brushing away such ideas, he came out of the bathroom, where Gray and Happy had been waiting for him.

"Let's go," said Happy as he rushed toward the door. The two teens followed him, yet a little more slowly.

As soon as they stepped outside, Natsu immediately wanted to go back in. It was freezing out here! Wasn't it supposed to be spring?

"Are you all right? You're shaking," observed the ice mage.

"It's cold! Aren't you cold?" Natsu replied.

"No. I'm an ice mage, remember?" He paused. "Wait right here."

Gray went back into the cabin. A couple minutes later, he returned holding a pair of blankets.

"What—"

"When we get to the campfire, you can wrap these around yourself if you're still cold. And we'll make sure to get you a spot closer to the fire."

Natsu nodded, trying to stop his teeth from chattering. They quickly made their way to the so-called campfire, and the dragon slayer was relieved to see that they were the first ones to arrive. The only other person there was Master Makarov.

"Hey, Natsu. How are you feeling?" started the man.

"I'm okay. Just kind of cold right now," the fire mage answered as he seated himself near the fire. He sighed when he felt his body start to warm. But when the wind blew, he started shaking again. He was starting to feel like a fucking leaf!

Suddenly, Natsu found a blanket being placed over his lap, covering his legs. Then another one found its way over his shoulders, covering his upper body. The dragon slayer watched Gray sit down next to him, with Happy seating himself on his other side. It cut down the wind chill considerably, and for that, he was grateful.

"Thanks," Natsu whispered, taking comfort in the warmth he was now feeling. It was enough to make him drowsy.

"Natsu, where have you been?"

Scratch that. He was wide awake now. The others had arrived. And that had been Erza speaking.

Gray narrowed his eyes at everyone. "He's been sick," the ice mage retorted, interrupting whatever Natsu had been about to say.

Lucy gasped. "Really, Natsu? That's why you've been gone today?"

"If you were so worried about him, then why didn't you look for him?" Gray retaliated. It was unnerving Natsu slightly. Just what was the ice mage trying to do?

"But we had activities to do, so we didn't have time to—"

"You didn't have enough time during breakfast to ask where he was? Didn't have time during your lunch and free time to go search for him? It doesn't really seem like any of you were worried at all," Gray continued.

Lucy started getting tears in his eyes, which only angered Erza. "There's no need to be so harsh," she stated.

"Yeah. We care!" added Lucy, a tad heatedly.

"Guys, cut it out!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs. Ooh, that was a bad idea. It made him dizzy. Even though his appetite was back, he wasn't up to snuff yet.

Natsu felt Gray steady him as his head swam. When the dizziness faded, he looked back up at the others. "It's fine. Everything's fine," he mumbled, focusing on the fire instead of them.

He heard them sigh and retreat, gathering in different spots around the fire as the rest of their class showed up. Why had he exploded like that at them? Did them _not_ finding out what was going on bug him that much?

"Now that everyone's here, let's get started!" Master Makarov exclaimed excitedly as he sat on the other side of the fire so he could look at everyone. "And this evening will be a night to remember. Because it's ghost story time!"

Natsu mentally groaned. Sure, he liked the idea of creepy things, but experiencing them was another thing entirely. However, knowing their master's happy-go-lucky attitude, his story couldn't be that scary. Right?

"This tale happened a long time ago. According to legend, there's an abandoned shrine somewhere in the depths of these woods where a couple was killed, destined to never reunite. They wander this very land, hoping to reunite with each other one day. But alas, it was never meant to be. Now, let us begin our story."

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	9. Chapter 9

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is a story within a story, which Makarov is telling, so listen to the tale of _The Haunted Shrine_. It has relevence to the plot. *Character Death in _The Haunted Shrine_

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 _ **The Haunted Shrine**_

 _It was not uncommon for there to be a calm fall morning in a rural village this time of year. The dawn's deep purple sky welcomed the orange glow with wide arms as the light stretched across the meadow recently laden with dew. Daylight danced on the water droplets, moving to the gopher frogs' song of low, ringing guttural snores._

 _Mavis listened intently from the rotted wooden porch of the small cottage, watching the sunrise beyond the field. Her long pink kimono billowed loosely around her. The breeze gently caressed her blonde hair, resting slightly on her pale skin. Her vibrant green eyes gazed lovingly on the land she could finally call her home._

 _She awakened from her peaceful state as she felt two strong arms hugging her around her waist. Leaning back into the embrace, Mavis looked tenderly into the dark eyes of her husband._

" _What are you doing up so early, Mavis?" His husky voice was accompanied by a yawn. "Aren't you cold out here?"_

" _I'm just watching the sunrise, Zeref," she answered sweetly. He removed the black shawl that was on his shoulders and wrapped it around his wife. "I love it here," she sighed._

 _Zeref chuckled and pulled her back to him, resting his head atop hers while breathing in her scent, which smelled of fresh apples. Turning around in his arms, Mavis stretched up on her toes and planted a small kiss on her husband's nose. He gently cupped her face, a smile tugging at his lips as he leaned down to return the favor._

 _BANG!_

 _A magical blast sounded alarmingly nearby. Zeref and Mavis leapt from each other's arms and looked beyond the porch to the old dirt road leading from the cottage. Shouts and curses erupted from the edge of the woods, echoing throughout the once quiet meadow, startling all living creatures into silence. Even the recently risen sunlight seemed to halt its joyous waltz among the dewdrops._

" _Who's that?" whispered Mavis, panic rising in her voice. She gripped her husband's arm, her slender fingers leaving imprints on his skin._

" _I don't know," he replied softly, guiding her slim figure behind him in hopes of shielding her from sight. He had an idea of who might be headed their way, but they couldn't have wanted to go this far. Could they?_

" _Well, look at what we have here," declared a deep, menacing voice. "A good for nothing traitor."_

 _Five men emerged from the dirt road framed by trees. One of the men waved a magical weapon. The others, though seemingly unarmed, appeared no less threatening._

 _Zeref knew who these men were. They were monks from the shrine not too far from here. The same monks and shrine he'd denounced in order to marry. He knew that hadn't sat well with them, but he didn't think they'd go this far. They we supposed to follow a peaceful way of life._

" _Mavis, run! Hide! Go now!" said Zeref, pushing her roughly in the direction of the field._

" _No! I'm not leaving you," she replied defiantly. She glanced warily at the other men. They were still far enough away for a magical blast to be utterly useless, but they quickly made their way toward them._

" _Please, Mavis, go. I'll find you. I promise," he said, pulling her into a quick, hard kiss. "Now go!"_

 _Zeref released her from his grasp and headed down to meet the men, his hardened eyes meeting their heated glares. Mavis hesitated slightly before she turned around and ran into the field, leaving a dusty trail in her wake. But she could still hear the painful cries coming from her husband._

 _The raged monks pounded Zeref's body relentlessly, red welts and cuts littering every visible surface of his figure. The downpour of blows from their fists and the magical weapon accompanied the sound of sickening crunches. One of the men—the one holding the magical weapon—thrust the butt into Zeref's head. Blood spurted from the wound._

" _You two take him back to the shrine," the man spat at them._

 _Painful tears soon fell from Mavis's eyes. She bit back a heart-wrenching sob and ran through the field determinedly. Sharp brown thorns and branches ripped her kimono to shreds. Crimson droplets seeped from the cuts and scratches she received, discoloring the front of her kimono._

 _Mavis stumbled toward the edge of the field, landing on her knees as she scraped them against jagged rocks near the entrance of the woods. She pushed herself off the ground, bolted up a gnarly tree, desperately clawed at the rough trunk and branches, and climbed unsteadily to the top with all her might._

 _She collapsed on a large branch enshrouded in dense, green foliage where she cried brokenly. Her scratched hands clutched the black shawl, pulling it tightly around her shoulders. Mavis buried her head in her arms and breathed in the musky scent of her husband from the tattered shawl, hoping to calm herself._

 _Her tears gradually subsided, her sobs mellowing to quiet whimpers. She looked up with dry eyes. Mavis cautiously spied the field she had run from through the leaves. Spotting a few of the men scouring the impenetrable shrubbery, her heart slammed into her chest as one of the men set fire to the middle of the field._

 _They fled as the field erupted in flames. Mavis sat dumbly as she watched her life burn before her eyes. The once lush landscape turned into the deepest shade of black she had ever seen._

 _But then the wind changed the direction of the fire, its new path heading in her direction. Mavis never even had a chance. The fire soon surrounded her completely, leaving her no chance for an escape. As it became harder and harder to breathe, Mavis dropped her head in defeat, weeping bitterly into her arms as she eventually succumbed to the death that finally claimed her._

 _Zeref watched through swollen eyes as the fire raged. The smoke-filled air became too horrible to bear. And if Mavis was gone, there would be nothing left for him._

 _The men finally dropped his broken body down in the shrine, where he lay on the floor now seeped in his own blood._

" _No one leaves this walk of life," stated the man with the magical weapon._

 _Zeref sat up, a new strength consuming him as he stood on his feet, much to the surprise of the others. He opened his arms to them._

 _BANG!_

 _The magical weapon went off, a blast piercing right through Zeref's heart. He fell to the ground, bouncing lightly on the bloodstained floor, his breath finally leaving his body._

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	10. Chapter 10

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Now back to the main story.

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

"It is said that those men never made it out of these woods," continued Master Makarov. "Whether it was due to the fire or the vengeful spirits of Mavis and Zeref, we may never know. But we do know one thing...the young couple never knew what happened to the other, so they aimlessly wander these woods, hoping that one day, they will find each other."

A deafening silence followed.

"Goodnight, everyone!" Makarov said as he rose to his feet. "I hope you all sleep well."

And with that…he left.

The guild members stared after him, dumbfounded. How the hell were they supposed to go to sleep after a story like that? He'd just told them the woods were haunted!

Eventually everyone got up to leave. Natsu, however, stayed put.

"Get up. We need to get back," stated Gray, nudging the stiff pinkette.

"That story was so cool! Wasn't it, Natsu?" Happy cried enthusiastically.

"Yeah. Sure," the dragon-slayer replied softly.

"Don't tell me you're scared," Gray said bluntly.

Natsu's face heated in embarrassment. "Let's just go," he started, bolting to his feet. But he still waited for Happy and Gray to start walking before he did. He didn't want to be alone.

Once they reached the cabin, they changed and slipped into bed. Natsu, on the other hand, was wide awake. He'd _never_ be able to sleep after a story like that. Pulling the covers over his head, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to will away his overly vivid imagination. But when the covers were ripped away, he nearly screamed.

"You really are scared, aren't you?" Gray whispered, staring at him in the dark.

"I…I don't like stuff like that. Because I'll start thinking about it and I won't fall asleep. Or I will fall asleep and then have nightmares. Or—what're you doing?" the dragon-slayer hissed when he felt Gray crawl into bed next to him.

"Helping you get to sleep."

"How is you getting into bed with me going to help me get to sleep?" he growled.

"Because nothing is going to get you while I'm here. And if you have a nightmare, I'll wake you up," replied the ice mage.

Natsu turned onto his side, his back facing Gray. When he felt the ice mage settle down next to him, he started to blush. This was just too weird. And why was he feeling this way? It was like his heart skipped a beat whenever Gray was near and then it would do a happy dance when he was _really_ close. Like now.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say that he liked Gray. But he wouldn't say that…because something like that couldn't possibly be true!

Right?

* * *

Happy felt like it was his birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. He crept over to the bed Gray and Natsu were sleeping in. Or should he say, snuggling in.

Trying not to laugh, he poked the dragon-slayer in the arm. Natsu stirred and blearily opened his eyes. His dark orbs locked onto Happy's in confusion.

"What is it?" the dragon-slayer asked sleepily. He started frowning when all the Exceed did was giggle. It was then he realized just why he was giggling.

Natsu's body stiffened slightly when he noticed that a strong pair of arms was wrapped securely around him. Shifting his body ever so slightly, he stared at Gray, who had taken to cuddling him like a teddy bear.

"Gray?" he called out softly, nudging him as he did so. The ice mage didn't even move. "Gray?" he tried again. Still nothing.

 _Wake me up if I have a nightmare, my ass!_ Natsu hissed inside his head. There could be magical bombs going off outside and Gray would still be asleep!

Well, there was _one_ foolproof way of getting the older teen to wake up.

 _THUD!_

"What the hell?" Gray roared, finding himself on the floor, his legs tangled in the bed sheets. "What did you do that for?"

Natsu blinked at him innocently. "I didn't do anything, Gray. You fell out all on your own," he stated seriously. But his seriousness didn't last very long, especially with Happy trying to stifle his laughter. And soon, both of them burst out laughing.

"You two are messing with me," Gray deadpanned. "There's no way _I_ would have just fallen out of bed."

"What were you doing in Natsu's bed anyway, Gray?" Happy asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"The flamebrain was scared, so I kept him company," the ice mage replied, trying to fight the blush that threatened to stain his cheeks.

"It looked like pretty _close_ company," the Exceed continued.

Natsu's face erupted into flames. The damn cat was evil. Wait. Did he think that they—

"Happy! We didn't do anything! I swear!" the dragon-slayer stuttered immediately.

Happy just smirked. "I never said you did. Why would you jump to a conclusion like that? Unless…"

While Natsu sputtered uncontrollably, Gray finally managed to free himself and was now standing in the center of the cabin.

"Nothing happened. End of story. What would make you think we'd do something like _that_?" started the ice mage, hoping his statement would dismiss the matter.

"I don't know," answered Happy, his face taking on an impish look. "It might have had something to do with the fact that you two were snuggling this morning."

Gray glared at him. "I…do…not…snuggle."

"Who's anyone gonna believe? You or me?" he said, heading out of the cabin before either of the two teens could react.

There was a moment's pause. Gray and Natsu stared at each other, the Exceed's words finally sinking in.

" _WHAT_?" they screeched. The two couldn't get dressed fast enough. And once they had, hunting down Happy became their top priority. He wouldn't _really_ tell anyone…would he?

* * *

"No offense, but when we find the runt, he is so dead," Gray growled, slamming himself into his seat as he started eating his breakfast.

They'd spent a good hour trying to find him. However, he was bound to show up sooner or later. He had to eat sometime.

"You think he'll show up?"

"Knowing Happy, he probably grabbed something from here already and took off while we were looking for him," Gray decided when he didn't see him, stabbing his helpless egg with a fork. "And when we catch him, he's done for."

"Don't you think we should make a deal with him first? If you go after him, he'll just be more likely to say something."

"You have a point." Personally, Gray was impressed by that evaluation. Even though he was reluctant to admit it, the fire mage was right.

"Um…Natsu? We were wondering if…we could talk to you," announced Lucy, the rest of their friends behind her.

"What's up?"

"Well, uh, we just wanted to apologize for how we've been treating you these past few days."

Natsu noticed that this seemed to be all the blonde was going to say, but he wasn't going to make it that easy for them this time. "What are you apologizing for exactly?"

"Huh?" Lucy replied.

"There's gotta be a reason why you're apologizing, right? And if you're apologizing, it means you did something to call for an apology. So what is it? What did you guys do?"

Everyone just stood there in silence, not knowing what to say.

"You can't just say you're sorry and expect everything to go back to normal. It's not just an excuse to use to blow things over and pretend it never happened. And until you can tell me what you guys are apologizing for…I won't accept you're apology," Natsu stated quietly.

"Natsu, don't be like that," interceded Erza.

"Don't be like what?"

"Don't be so hard on us. We're your friends. Let's just put whatever happened behind us and move on," the requip mage continued.

"I knew you were idiots before, but this just takes the cake," Gajeel muttered. "Are you guys really that stupid?"

"That's a rhetorical question," mumbled Gray under his breath.

"As soon as we got here, everyone ignored him save Gray and Happy," continued the iron dragon-slayer. "I ignored him as well because I was too busy trying to keep Levy's attention on me all the time."

"Gajeel," Levy said warningly.

"Right. Moving on," he replied sheepishly. "So if anything, we should apologize for our…you know…"

"Selfishness?" offered Levy.

"Yes. Selfishness. We should apologize for our selfishness and…and…"

"What he's _trying_ to say is that we apologize for leaving you alone. Friendship isn't one sided. You've always been there for us, so the least we can do is be there for you. And we haven't been. We apologize for that. We'll also do our best to ensure it doesn't happen again. Right?" finished Levy, snapping his gaze to everyone else. Who knew she could be so scary?

Natsu watched as everyone nodded in agreement. Well…it was a start. But it just seemed weird that Gajeel was the one to initiate fixing the problem.

"It's…going to take me a bit of time to get over it. But we can still be on friendly terms," stated Natsu.

"Great!" cried Gajeel, looking a little bit _too_ happy. "Now we can all hang out together like we planned!"

Natsu stared blankly at them, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Uh, okay," he agreed, not really knowing what he was agreeing to. The iron dragon-slayer started cackling maniacally at that. The fire mage had a hard time figuring out what was so funny.

"Then we'll hang out tonight," Gajeel continued, "while we search for the haunted shrine from that story we heard last night."

Feeling his blood run cold, Natsu found himself gripping the table. " _What_?"

"You were _serious_?" Lucy gasped, looking quite frightened.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun! Gihi!" cackled Gajeel.

Natsu stifled a whimper. He didn't want to go out into the dark, creepy woods in the middle of the night to search for some haunted shrine. What if there were ghosts or other…ghostly type things?

It seemed everyone in the group agreed; however, Lucy and Levy needed a little coaxing. And Natsu found himself nodding without even realizing he was doing it until Gray said so. After everyone left, anyways.

"I thought you were afraid of this kind of stuff," commented the ice mage.

"I am," the dragon-slayer replied softly.

"Then why did you agree to go?"

"I have no idea. But you'll stay with me, right? You won't leave me alone?" Natsu demanded frantically.

"I never said I wanted to go," said Gray. When he noted the pleading expression on Natsu's face, however, he gave in. "But if you insist, I'll go. We can't have you getting lost out in the woods now."

" _Thank you_!" he cried, quickly hugging the ice mage. "I really kinda wanna go, but I can't if you're not there. You need to stay with me…remember?"

"I remember," he replied.

"Um…what time are we supposed to meet up?"

"You weren't even listening?" the ice mage asked, eyebrow raised. The dragon-slayer smiled at him meekly. "We're meeting everyone at midnight."

"Midnight?" Natsu echoed. That was even worse. It would probably mean that they'd be out there close to the so-called witching hour. And if the story was real, what would happen then?

"You really _do_ have an overactive imagination, don't you?" Gray muttered. "Nothing's going to happen. It's just some idiotic ghost story set up to scare people away from the woods. It's not real."

Natsu gulped anyway. He really hoped Gray was right.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	11. Chapter 11

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I have so many fics in progress, I feel as though I've mixed up storylines. Forgive me for the delay!

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

"What do you mean we're gonna split up?" Natsu screeched at his friends. Splitting up in the middle of these creepy ass woods had _not_ been something they'd discussed before. And if they really _were_ going to split up, he was doomed. Plain and simple.

"Do you want to find this shrine or not?" inquired Gajeel, hands on his hips. "We'll cover more ground this way. And if anyone finds anything, just scream and everyone will come running."

"But what if we're screaming for a very _different_ reason?" the dragon-slayer mumbled under his breath. Gray seemed to be the only one to catch it, though.

"How are we splitting up then?" Gray asked as he crossed his arms.

Gajeel just smirked. "Excellent question. Loke, Lucy, Levy and myself will be in one group. Wendy, Charle, and Happy will be in another group, and Erza, Juvia, and Cana will be in the next group, which leaves you with Salamander here."

"Happy stays with us," Natsu ground out.

"Aw, come on, Natsu," Happy whined. "Let me go with them! I'll be fine! I promise!" He then pulled out the cutsie-eyes-of-fawking-doom. There was no denying him now.

"Fine. But if anything happens, I want you to go back to the cabin. Okay?"

"Yes, Natsu," replied Happy cheerfully as he darted off toward Wendy and Charle.

Everyone went off in a different direction into the woods, lacrima-lights clicking on simultaneously. But in all this, Natsu stood rooted to his spot.

"Are you coming or what?"

Gray's voice drew the dragon-slayer out of his stupor. "Um, do we have to? We can just pretend we went searching for the shrine."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, the ice mage grabbed Natsu by the wrist and started dragging him off into the woods. When the dragon-slayer didn't put up a fight, Gray became perturbed. Glancing back at him, he noticed that Natsu's eyes were darting here and there frantically, as if he were expecting something to jump out from the shadows and scare them.

Gray stopped walking, which only caused Natsu to bump into him. Startled eyes stared up into narrowed ones.

"Why'd you stop?" the dragon-slayer asked nervously.

"Are you really that scared?" the ice mage asked sincerely. A shaky nod was his only reply. When he realized he was still holding Natsu's wrist, a weird feeling came over him and he felt a strong urge to protect the dragon-slayer no matter what. "Nothing's going to happen."

"But—"

Before the ice mage even knew what he was doing, Gray suddenly embraced him, cutting off what Natsu had been about to say. Although odd, Gray found that he liked this. He liked this very much.

It happened almost instantly. One minute, Natsu was a trembling mess, and the next, he was completely calm. The dragon-slayer felt like he was melting in Gray's embrace.

" _Nothing_ is going to happen. I promise," the ice mage stated in a tone that made Natsu believe him.

"Okay. But if something creepy happens, I want to go back."

"Sure thing."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now let's go," urged Gray, tentatively taking Natsu's hand in his own. When he did so, he felt his heart flutter. He knew that somehow his feelings had changed toward the dragon-slayer; he just wasn't sure how much yet. Only time would tell.

Natsu tightened his grip on Gray's hand, not caring that his face reddened in embarrassment. It wasn't like the other could see it anyway; it was dark. If the ice mage was offering comfort, who was he to deny it? That meant if anything scary popped out of the woods, he'd already have a human shield. He just…wouldn't let Gray in on that little fact for awhile.

 _Snap!_

"What was that?" Natsu asked hurriedly. Okay, so maybe using the ice mage as a human shield would happen a bit sooner than he thought.

"What was what?" Gray replied.

Natsu's jaw dropped. "You didn't hear it?"

"Hear what?"

"That snapping sound!"

"That? It was probably just some animal getting out of our way."

 _Snap! Crack!_

Now it was Gray's turn to pause and listen. That was no animal getting out of their way. The sound would have depleted, not _increased_ in volume. Something was heading _toward_ them.

Natsu nearly had a heart attack when he felt Gray push him behind him. That could only mean one thing. Something was out there.

"I want to go back," the dragon-slayer whimpered. "I _knew_ there were ghosts out here."

"Quiet," Gray hissed, trying to listen for the sound again. Silence.

 _Bang!_

"Shit!" the ice mage cried, yanking Natsu toward him.

"What the fuck was that?" the dragon-slayer gasped.

"I don't know. Let's—"

"Gray!" Natsu exclaimed, pointing to a shadow moving before them.

The ice mage narrowed his eyes. It was all coming together. "Stay here," he growled.

"What? Don't leave me alone!" the dragon-slayer protested. "You're not supposed to leave me alone."

"I think our friends are messing with us. Stay here."

Natsu stood, completely frozen. Gray had left him to go chasing after shadows. That…bastard! He said he wouldn't leave him alone. He wasn't _supposed_ to leave him alone.

 _Maaaaaaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiiiiis!_

His head shot up. No way in hell that was the wind. The trees weren't even moving. Taking a step back, his eyes panned his surroundings. Nothing. Absolutely noth—

"Aah!" he screamed. Something had touched him! Grabbed him!

 _Maaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiis! Maaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiis!_

Aw, hell. He wasn't sticking around for this. So Natsu did the only thing he could think of.

He ran.

* * *

"Where the fuck are you?" Gray rasped as he wandered through the woods, trying to find whoever it was who was attempting to scare them. He just _knew_ it was the others.

Another snapping sound drew his attention to his left. So that's where the perpetrator was, huh? Well, he'd make sure that this sort of thing never happened again.

Lunging into the bushes, his hands came in contact with—

"Happy?"

The small Exceed looked up at Gray sheepishly. "Heh. Hi, Gray."

The ice mage glared at him. "What are you doing?"

"Well, uh, we were just going to…scare you and Natsu a bit. That's all," Happy replied meekly.

"We?" Gray echoed. "Who else was in on this?"

"Um…everyone? Gray, don't look at me like that! It was only for a bit of fun!"

"A bit of fun? You call scaring the crap out Natsu a bit of fun? He's absolutely terrified!" roared the ice mage.

Happy stared up at him blankly. "So you left him alone?"

"I told him to stay put," he explained.

A scream suddenly erupted in the woods. It was Natsu.

"I don't think he stayed put, Gray."

* * *

 _Maaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiis! Maaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiis!_

Natsu covered his ears as he tried to block out the sound that kept rushing past him. Why couldn't it just go away? Why did it have to be him who—

 _Smack!_

The dragon-slayer collided with something hard. It wasn't a person. It wasn't an animal. It wasn't even a fucking tree. He stepped back, his eyes widening in horror as he realized just _what_ he'd run into. Something must have hated him because that would be the only reason why he would have found the damned _haunted shrine_!

Subconsciously hugging himself, he backed away from it. If what had happened in that story occurred so long ago, why didn't this place look like it had aged?

A popping sound nearly made him jump out of his skin. The unlit torches that were displayed in the front entrance of the shrine were now lit. This was just _way_ too creepy.

 _Maaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiis! Maaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiis! Maaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiis!_

Natsu spun around. The whispering wasn't whispering anymore! It sounded more like it was moaning, and loudly at that! He _really_ didn't want to be here. And he _really_ didn't want to go back into the woods. He wanted Gray.

 _MAAAAAAAVIIIIIIIS!_

That was it! He was going into the shrine.

Bolting for the inside, he immediately came to a stop when he reached the center of the shrine. In the middle of the floor lay a circle of blood. And it looked fresh.

" _Mavis!_ "

Natsu screamed when he felt icy breath hissing in his ear. But he didn't even have a chance to run away, for something had pushed him forward. The dragon-slayer then found himself hurtling toward the center of the floor and into the fresh blood.

Panicking, Natsu slipped and slid on the red liquid. He could feel it seeping into his clothes. He could feel its warmth on his skin. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get up and away from it.

" _Mavis! Mavis! Mavis!_ "

The name kept lashing out at him. It was all around him. In his ear. In his head. It echoed all around him.

The dragon-slayer finally managed to get into a sitting position. He brought his knees to his chest, covered his ears with his hands, and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to high hell that this would all go away.

He could feel it now, the consequence of being away from Gray for this long. Natsu felt his magic building up. His magic would lash out soon if Gray didn't come.

A tear escaped from his eye as he stifled a frightened sob. _Gray, where are you?_

* * *

"This is all your fault," Gray spat at the others as they frantically searched for the missing dragon-slayer. Hearing him scream like that had put him on edge and he wanted more than anything to find him. Something kept telling him to go to the dragon-slayer, but Gray just couldn't tell where Natsu was. "You _knew_ he was afraid of this kind of stuff!"

"You're the one who left him alone!" Gajeel retaliated, looking miffed.

"I left him alone so that I could find you assholes and get you to stop! Now he's run off somewhere! And I swear, if he's hurt or anything, the lot of you will pay _dearly_ for it," Gray growled threateningly.

"Gray?" Happy called out, halting the ice mage in his tracks. "What's that sound?"

Everyone stopped moving, listening intently. There was nothing but silence until a soft whimper—like someone crying—echoed around them.

Gray started jogging in the direction of the noise, leaving the others behind as he gripped his lacrima-light firmly in hand. When the noise started getting louder, he slowed down and shone his lacrima-light in the direction the sound was coming from.

There, sitting in the middle of the forest floor, was Natsu. The area around him was scorched black and his clothes even looked burnt. He looked a wreck. His skin seemed deathly pale and he was rocking back and forth. The dragon-slayer's eyes were shut tightly, his hands were pressed against his ears as if trying to block everything out, and his legs were forced against his torso.

Approaching the obviously terrified dragon-slayer slowly, he knelt in front of him. "Natsu?"

He didn't respond.

Reaching out, the ice mage placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. That was a mistake.

Natsu screamed and started scrambling away from him.

"It's okay, Natsu. It's me! It's me!" Gray started, hoping his voice would penetrate the dragon-slayer's mind. It did.

"G-Gray?"

"Yes, it's Gray."

At that, Natsu broke down, his body trembling as sobs wracked his body. "You left me! You weren't supposed to leave me! I couldn't control it!"

"It's okay. I'm here. Everything's going to be okay," said the ice mage, mentally cursing himself for leaving him.

"No. Not okay. Not okay," mumbled Natsu as he covered his ears again. "Not okay."

"Natsu?" Gray began in concern.

"It's all over me. It's everywhere. I wanna go. Let's go. I wanna go." The dragon-slayer continued to rant, his dialogue becoming even more rapid and random. It was hard for the ice mage to follow.

"We'll go right now, okay?" he said, hoping that this would appease him. Natsu looked to him and nodded. "Can you get up?"

The dragon-slayer shook his head. "Hurt my ankle when I slipped i-in the blood," he muttered.

Blood? What blood? Gray ran his lacrima-light over Natsu, inspecting every inch of him. There was no blood. Instead, everything looked burnt. What on earth was he talking about?

Multiple footsteps let the ice mage know that the others had finally arrived. Thinking quickly, he lifted the dragon-slayer in his arms and started heading back out of the woods.

Something had scared Natsu…and badly. Leaving him hadn't been wise, either. He hadn't realized Natsu had been _serious_ about not leaving him. The burnt surroundings had been from an intense fire caused by Natsu, and he had probably used a lot of magic. Had him leaving Natsu's side caused the dragon-slayer to do that?

He just hoped Natsu would come out of his shock soon so that he could figure out what was really going on. Because deep down, he knew it hadn't been their friends who'd frightened him.

And if _they_ hadn't…what had?

* * *

By the time Gray had gotten Natsu back to the cabin and settled down enough to hear the dragon-slayer's story, he was livid. The only thing going through his mind was 'Kill Gajeel and Happy' among other torturous thoughts. How dare they pull off a prank such as this! Natsu was practically having a nervous breakdown thanks to them!

"Gray? Gray! You believe me, right? Right?" the dragon-slayer asked with pleading eyes. He desperately wanted the ice mage to believe him.

Gray sighed. "I believe you," he replied, ruffling Natsu's hair a bit. "But I need to step outside for a minute."

Hands shooting outward, the dragon-slayer grabbed Gray's arm, trying to prevent him from leaving. "Don't leave me alone. I don't wanna be alone. I don't wanna be alone."

"I won't be gone long, and I won't be far. I just need to speak with the others for a minute. All right?"

"Just a minute?"

"Just a minute."

"Okay," the dragon-slayer said in defeat. He could last a minute.

Making his way to the door, Gray took one last glance at Natsu before stepping outside where the others were waiting. Shutting the door behind him, the ice mage mustered up a glare that could only mean all hell had broken loose. He had _had_ it with them! After hearing Natsu's story, there was no doubt in his mind that it was them who'd been behind all this.

"What the hell were you guys thinking when you put him through that?" Gray spat. "Bringing that story to life had to be one of the most idiotic—"

"What are you talking about?" Gajeel interrupted.

The ice mage's glare intensified. "You know very well what I'm talking about. To go so far as to set up a fake shrine and stage a bloody mess." He paused, for his voice had trailed off as he remembered the condition he'd found Natsu in. "What happened after he got scared? Did he burn everything to the ground? He did, didn't he? And then what?"

The group stared at him mutely, a mixture of shock and confusion on their faces.

"None…of us did that," said Lucy.

"Yeah. After we saw you heading for us, we stopped and took off," added Gajeel. "We didn't go anywhere _near_ Salamander after that."

"You really expect me to believe that?" Gray snarled.

"We're telling the truth," stated Happy firmly.

The ice mage stared hardly at each and every one of their faces, trying to find any clue that would indicate that they were lying. He found nothing. This only meant one thing: Natsu had been hallucinating. Perhaps his condition hadn't improved after all.

"Just…what did Natsu see?" asked Lucy, looking nervous.

"He said he kept hearing the name Mavis, so he ran and came across a shrine in the woods somewhere. And he indicated that there was a pool of blood in the center of the shrine and he'd fallen into it. By then, he couldn't get up and the name just got louder and louder. When I found him, he was sitting on the ground. The area around him was burnt, including his clothes. His eyes were shut, he had his hands over his ears, and his knees were against his chest. He was a wreck."

"Normally, I would take credit for a good scare like that, but we had nothing to do with it," said Gajeel.

Gray grunted in response. "That means when he got scared while I was still with him…it triggered a hallucination or something. Maybe he went hysterical for a moment. But right now, he firmly believes that what he saw out there was real."

"Maybe it was," stated Levy thoughtfully.

"Oh, come on!" hissed Gray. "Do you really expect me to believe that some stupid ghost story is real? Things like that don't exist. They are just used as tools to frighten people from doing things that they _probably_ shouldn't be doing."

It was Erza's turn to look like she wanted to murder someone. "How can you say that? After everything all of us have been through, how can you say that?"

Gray shrugged

Erza _now_ looked like she wanted to strangle him.

"I-I think what Erza is trying to say is that maybe we shouldn't rule anything out just yet. I mean…anything is possible," commented Lucy.

Gray found that _very_ hard to believe. "I want you all to leave now. It's been a long night," he said in a means to dismiss them. Eventually, however, the group heeded his words and left, leaving the ice mage standing in the doorway of the cabin. After a few minutes, he opened the door and stepped back inside, where Happy was desperately trying to comfort a still frantic dragon-slayer.

"I'm back," he announced, making his way over to where the two of them were.

Natsu's head snapped up. "That was longer than a minute," he started anxiously. "You said—"

"I know what I said and I'm sorry. I really needed to talk to the others about what happened," Gray began slowly. "I asked them if they were the ones who scared you."

The dragon-slayer looked at him, confusion evident on his face. "The others?"

"Yes. They claimed they had nothing to do with it," he continued. "Can you explain to me again what you thought you saw?"

"What I… _thought_ I saw?" Natsu ground out. "I _know_ what I saw! Does that mean…y-you don't believe me? You said you believed me, Gray." The dragon-slayer was starting to sound helpless.

"I know, and I do believe you. It's just that I think there's a reasonable explanation for what you saw. I mean, you don't actually think what you saw was _real_ , do you?"

That, apparently, had been the wrong thing to say.

"I'm not crazy!" Natsu yelled, making both Gray and Happy flinch.

"I never said you were!" the ice mage countered.

"No! You don't believe me! You think I was seeing things and I'm not! What I saw was real! It was real!"

"It wasn't real!" Gray roared. He was losing his patience. How was he going to get this through the dragon-slayer's head? "Look, you've been through a lot lately. Getting scared probably induced a hallucination or something."

"Then did I hallucinate this?" Natsu screamed, yanking up his shirt sleeve.

Gray stepped closer to the dragon-slayer and inspected him. On his forearm, there was a red imprint of a hand…like someone had grabbed him quite roughly.

"Who did this?" the ice mage asked immediately.

"I told you already," Natsu replied softly, on the brink of tears. "It was real. Everything was real, Gray. I heard that name and then something grabbed me. That's when I ran and…you know…"

"Do…you think you might have done that to yourself when you were scared?" Gray inquired, examining his arm again. It was possible. The mark was on Natsu's left arm, and the hand imprint was right-handed.

"Did it…to myself?" the dragon-slayer echoed quietly.

Gray nodded, hoping that Natsu finally understood where he was coming from. But the look of fury on the dragon-slayer's face after the words sank in indicated that he hadn't.

"How can you still not believe me?"

"Gray, maybe—" Happy started, but the ice mage cut him off.

"Fine!" Gray finally snapped. "Believe that what you saw in the woods was real. But if someone comes to take you and lock you away in some mental institution, don't come crying to me. You're nothing but a worthless piece of shit anyway. Perhaps it'd be better off for you to go crazy. Then I won't have to deal with taking care of your sorry ass anymore."

And with that, Gray stormed out of the cabin and slammed the door behind him.

But he didn't leave. How could he? Instead, he slid down the door until he was sitting on the ground, hands buried in his hair.

He hadn't wanted to say any of that to him. Hell, he didn't even remember all of what he'd said. The only thing going through his mind at that point was… _fuck_. He didn't know what else to do. He thought that maybe if he could rile the dragon-slayer up again, make him hate him again, then maybe—just maybe—things would go back to normal in Natsu's mind.

But the last thing he'd wanted to do was hurt him. And that was the image he could not erase from his mind. Seeing that devastated and hopeless look on Natsu's face after he'd said all that was enough to make him want to cry himself.

"I didn't mean it, Natsu," he muttered under his breath. "I promise you, I didn't mean it." But those words didn't make it hurt any less.

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	12. Chapter 12

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This fic is nearly finished. It brings a tear to my eye! *Sniff*

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

Natsu stared blankly at the wall, Gray's words ringing in his head loud enough to drown out his thoughts. He wasn't worthless. And he wasn't _crazy_ , either! How could he _say_ that to him? He had trusted him.

And now, after having heard those words coming from the ice mage, Natsu felt more alone than ever. Gray had destroyed what little hope he'd had left of happiness.

However, the dragon-slayer hesitated as that final thought went through his mind. It was just too difficult for him to figure out which side of Gray was the real one. Was he the bastard who acted cruelly toward him? Or was he the kind-hearted one who'd taken care of him and comforted him when he'd needed it? It wasn't like Natsu had asked for his help. The ice mage had helped him all on his own.

So which Gray was the real one?

Sighing, he leaned back, a frown crossing his face. Natsu let his thoughts wander, only for a replay of their argument to cross his mind. After some thought, the dragon-slayer came to the conclusion that maybe Gray didn't actually hate him. If the look on the ice mage's face had been any indication, Gray had seemed worried or…scared.

Scared? Gray? Of what?

Contemplating some more, it dawned on him. He knew what Gray was afraid of. Or…well, concerned about, anyway. The ice mage was more than likely anxious about whether the dragon-slayer was losing his mind or not; in other words, going crazy.

Sure, his health and magic hadn't been up to snuff, but Natsu sure as hell knew he wasn't crazy. However, that left one little problem.

How the hell was he going to prove that to Gray?

* * *

"I fucked up," Gray ground out, burying his face in his hands.

Happy stared at the ice mage sympathetically. He'd come outside to give Natsu some alone time while he tried to talk some sense into Gray. But it seemed the ice mage had taken to beating himself up instead.

"Gray, if you didn't mean what you said, why don't you just go and apologize?" inquired the Exceed.

"Because I don't think he's up to accepting an apology at the moment," he snapped. "And besides, anything I say now will just make things worse."

Happy watched him silently, noticing the stricken look on the ice mage's face whenever it appeared he thought about what had happened between him and Natsu.

"Do you believe him?" he muttered quietly.

Gray raised his head and sighed, hurt etched on his face. "I don't know. I want to, but I just don't know. I…" His voice trailed off.

"You want to believe Natsu because you don't want to accept the alternative," Happy said for him. At the ice mage's nod, the Exceed settled himself more comfortably next to Gray.

"I never wanted to hurt him," Gray stated softly. "But when he just started rambling about what happened out there, I thought he'd finally lost it. That…scared me. I don't ever want to go through that feeling again. It felt like I was going to lose him or something. Not in body, but in mind. And now, I just don't know what to do."

"I think you two need to sit down and just talk. It sounds like you really like him, right?" Happy implored.

Gray let out another deep sigh and leaned his head back against the tree behind him. He stared up at the sky, which was already starting to show signs of the quickly approaching dawn. "Yes. I like him."

"Have you told him how you _really_ feel?" continued Happy.

Shaking his head, he focused his gaze to the ground.

"I think you should. It might be a good way to mend things."

Half of a smile began to make its way onto the ice mage's face. "Why do _you_ have to be the one giving _me_ advice? Shouldn't this be the other way around?"

"Nope," Happy answered with a smirk. "Let's go back to the cabin. Then you can apologize to Natsu and tell him how you really feel about him."

Gray patted Happy's head and turned to face the direction of the cabin. "Come on."

They headed back for the cabin, the ice mage feeling a little bit better after speaking with Happy. It amazed him how confiding in the Exceed seemed to lift his spirits.

Upon opening the door, Gray stepped inside, immediately ready to begin apologizing to Natsu, but the cabin was empty. Natsu was nowhere in sight.

"He's gone," Gray started as he searched the place. He froze. Where could Natsu have gone? And why?

"Gray?" called Happy, something clenched in his hands. "Natsu left this."

The ice mage took the slip of paper Happy passed to him and read the messy handwriting scribbled upon it. With the note dropping from his fingers, Gray raced for the door, determined to bring Natsu back no matter what.

Happy stared at the fallen piece of paper. It read: _I'm gonna prove I'm right. You'll see._

The Exceed clenched his paws, growing anxious. Hopefully, Gray would find Natsu before something—anything—happened to the dragon-slayer.

* * *

Natsu trudged through the woods, determined to find any sort of proof that would confirm he wasn't crazy. Would anything he found be tangible? Probably not. But it was worth a shot.

He clutched at his chest when he felt a twinge urging him to return to Gray. "Why couldn't you just believe me, Gray?" the dragon-slayer mumbled to himself.

As if in answer, the wind blew through the trees. Natsu listened to the leaves whispering to him. It was as if something wanted him to follow the direction the breeze went. But before he could take a step, he detected something strange.

Smoke?

He sniffed the air, noting that there was definitely smoke coming from somewhere. Which meant—

"Fire," Natsu said in realization. But where was it coming from?

The wind blew again—harder, this time—which only made the smell of smoke stronger. If the dragon-slayer didn't know any better, he'd have said the wind was trying to make the fire head in his direction.

But that would be crazy…right?

* * *

Gray stared at the woods, trying to figure out which direction to take when Lucy called out to him.

"Gray!" the blonde cried urgently.

"What?" snapped the ice mage in response.

"There's a fire in the woods! Some guys were messing around with a campfire and it got out of control. I came to get you guys. We need to head to the main camp."

Gray's heart slammed into his chest. Would Natsu be all right? He wasn't with him. What if the dragon-slayer's magic got out of control again? "Get Happy. He's in the cabin. I need to find Natsu. He went off into the woods," he said before taking off.

"Gray!"

"Get Happy! I'll find Natsu!" he yelled back.

Hoping that Lucy would just do as he said, he frantically made his way through the trees. How far Natsu had gone, he didn't know. Where the fire was, he didn't know.

But he was starting to smell it, which meant it had to be close, right?

"Where the hell are you?" Gray hissed under his breath. Just where would he have gone?

The wind began picking up, making his eyes sting as burning pine wafted in the air. He coughed a few times and trudged ahead.

"Natsu!" He paused to listen.

Nothing.

"Natsu!"

 _Crack!_ _Boom!_

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a large tree about thirty feet away from him cracked and plummeted to the ground, revealing hot and hungry flames. The fire was heading his way.

"Shit."

Gray tried to use his ice magic to put out the flames. It didn't work. Why didn't it work?

Deciding to go left, he moved away from the fire and smoke that seemed to want to ensnare him, picking up his pace in the process. He really needed to find Natsu and get the hell out of here.

"Natsu!"

"Gray?" came a faint reply.

"Natsu! Where are you?"

"I'm over here! But I can't see you!"

"Don't worry! I'll find you!"

The ice mage waved his hand in front of his face, trying to clear the smoke that obstructed his vision. And when he caught sight of a pink mass of hair, he pushed forward until his hands came in contact with the mage.

"Ah!" Natsu screamed. But when he realized it was just Gray, he calmed himself. "Gray. You came."

"Of course, I came. You had me worried sick, you idiot. Don't you _ever_ run off like that again!"

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to find proof."

"We'll talk about that later. Right now, we should worry about not dying in these woods," stated the ice mage. "Can't you do something about this?"

"I already tried to eat the flames, but it's not working," Natsu stated frantically. "How're we gonna get out?"

"Uh…this way," he said, grabbing Natsu's hand and heading for an area that looked clear.

 _Crash!_

Another tree fell, blocking their path. Flames licked over the trunk, making their surroundings heat up intensely, the thick, black smoke becoming stifling.

"Gray! We're trapped!" Natsu said over his coughing fit. "We're gonna die out here. Why the hell is this fire affecting me?!"

They really _were_ trapped. There was no way to escape. They were going to die.

Gray pulled Natsu into his arms, burying the dragon-slayer's face in his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Natsu. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sorry I left like that. If I hadn't, we wouldn't—"

The ice mage silenced him with a kiss—a kiss so passionate, that they both truly—finally—felt what they'd been wanting to say since they'd gotten together.

"I think I'm in love with you, Natsu," whispered Gray when they broke apart. "I think I always have…deep down."

The dragon-slayer smiled at him. "I feel the same, Gray. I really do."

A strong gust of wind burst past the two, startling them. But soon, something caught Natsu's eye.

"Uh, what's that?" asked the dragon-slayer, pointing at something ahead of them.

Gray turned to look. And gaped.

Something was swirling around and glowing. But then that something became two somethings. It wasn't any debris from the fire, so what was—

"Holy shit," gasped the ice mage when the glowing objects started to take form. One of them took the shape of a woman, the other, a man. Both were somewhat transparent and were looking at them.

"They're the ones from the story," said Natsu breathlessly.

Suddenly, the man and woman clasped hands and smiled at each other before disappearing. A final gust a wind signified their departure before the sky rumbled and a heavy downpour fell upon them. Gradually, the fire began to dissipate.

"It…was real? They were real?" Gray asked stunned. Or was it just a hallucination brought on by the smoke.

"It was real," replied Natsu with a smile. "They finally found each other. Do you believe me now?"

The ice mage looked down at the dragon-slayer— _his_ dragon-slayer—through the miraculous rain that had probably saved their lives. They'd been given a chance—a chance that Zeref and Mavis never had. Perhaps that was their gift to them, for helping them find one another.

"Yes, Natsu. I believe you. I'll always believe you. And I'll love you. Forever and always."

* * *

 **End Chapter**


	13. Chapter 13

**Every Time We Touch**

* * *

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

* * *

 **Author's Note:** It's actually over! Enjoy the *treat* near the end.

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

 _Six Months Later_

It had been six months since the strange encounter in the woods. After much research on Makarov's part, he'd explained to both Natsu and Gray that their connection had triggered something in the lost spirits—Zeref and Mavis—wandering amongst the forest.

Makarov had said that due to their bond and necessity of being together, the souls of Zeref and Mavis were drawn out, allowing them to find one another, but at the cost of reliving their deaths. For Natsu and Gray, that explained the shrine covered in blood, and the fire that was immune to their magic.

However, Makarov could not find anything more about the bond Natsu and Gray now shared. Natsu still lost control over his magic, even if Gray was gone for a few minutes. It had increasingly gotten worse over time, but their feelings for one another had not. Those feelings had only gotten stronger.

That was when Gajeel approached them.

* * *

Natsu and Gray were sitting at a table in the guild when Gajeel approached them looking…embarrassed? What in the world could embarrass the iron dragon-slayer?

"Can we help you?" Gray asked when Gajeel just stood there shifting back and forth every now and then.

Gajeel cleared his throat. "I think I know why Salamander's not up to snuff."

That got Natsu's attention. "You do?"

The iron dragon-slayer nodded. "I'm…sorry I wasn't there to help you come into your magic," he mumbled. "But there's another way to get your magic under control without the ice bastard being glued to your side."

Gray ignored the insult since he was more interested in the solution. "And?" he urged.

Gajeel scratched the back of his head and blushed. "Um…you two haven't done it, so that's how I know."

Gray grew confused. "Gajeel, I know that made sense up here," he said, pointing at his head, "but we're still a little lost."

Gajeel huffed. "Do I really gotta spell it out for you?"

"Would you just fucking tell us already?!" Natsu snapped.

"Fine!" roared Gajeel. "You gotta have sex! Happy now?"

"Say what?" replied Natsu, his face reddening slightly.

"You gotta have sex," repeated Gajeel. "When dragons come into their full magic, other dragons are usually there to help them with the transition, right? Well, you didn't and your magic latched onto Gray's. That means _you know what_."

Natsu's face just got redder.

Gray, however, was still a little lost. "Would someone please just give it to me straight?"

"He…um," started Natsu, clearly embarrassed, "means that we're…mates."

"And if ya mate, things'll get back to normal…ish," added Gajeel.

It was Gray's turn to blush; however, he was thrilled by the idea. "All right. Thank you, Gajeel."

"No problem, ice bastard. Salamander."

The two mages watched Gajeel walk away. An awkward silence came between them.

"You know," said Gray, "we don't have to do anything until you're ready. I really don't mind being 'glued to your side.' I love you, Natsu."

The fire mage smiled and stared down at his hands, which were folded neatly in his lap. "I know, Gray. You've been nothing but patient with me. I love you, too."

* * *

When Gray and Natsu reached the ice mage's apartment, Gray sighed and wandered away from the door. "So what do you want to do tonight? We can chill on the couch. I know you enjoy that."

Natsu approached Gray slowly, wrapping his arms around his neck as he guided the ice mage's head closer to his. Their lips met and a heated kiss soon turned into one of passionate ecstasy.

"I want you to make love to me tonight," the dragon-slayer whispered in his ear as they pulled away. "I'm ready to give myself to you…completely."

Gray felt his mouth go dry, unable to form a coherent response to that request. "You're not just saying that because of what Gajeel said, right?"

"I'm not. I'm really ready."

"You're sure?"

"Well, don't _you_ get nervous! Otherwise you're gonna make _me_ nervous," replied Natsu, smacking Gray lightly on the arm.

The ice mage gently took his hand and led them back to the bedroom. He sat Natsu on the bed and then ventured into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he returned with a few items in his hands and placed them next to the bed.

"What's that stuff for?" Natsu asked curiously.

"It's for making the experience more pleasant," Gray growled, pushing his soon-to-be lover back against the mattress, his pink hair splaying in all directions as soon as his head hit the pillow. Apparently, the ice mage's confidence was back full force. "I'm going to ask you again. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Gray. I do."

His heart warming to that answer, Gray leaned down, trailing soft kisses around Natsu's face and neck as he worked on unzipping the pinkette's shirt. When he succeeded, he pushed at the sides, exposing the dragon-slayer's toned torso. Placing his hands behind Natsu's lower back, he lifted him up and removed the shirt from his body before laying him back down.

Staring at his fiery lover, Gray removed his own shirt, tossing it to the floor carelessly as he brought his lips down to Natsu's chest. His mouth gravitated toward one of the pinkette's already taut nipples, lapping at it gently with his tongue before sucking and tugging on it.

Natsu cried out at the unexpected sensation, his hands clenching the sheets as Gray continued to tease him. When he felt like he couldn't handle anymore, the ice mage moved away. Mentally sighing in relief, the dragon-slayer was brought back to a state of delirium when Gray attacked his other nipple. If this part was making him squirm in pleasure, there was no telling what the rest of it would make him feel like.

Deeming Natsu ready for more, Gray pulled away from him again, admiring the flushed look on his face. Inwardly smirking, the ice mage undid his belt, doing away with his pants and boxers in one fell swoop. His erection stood proudly, which only made Natsu blush and avert his eyes. But Gray would have none of that.

The pinkette cried out when he felt a hand stroke his still clothed member. He thought he was hard before, but the stimulation he was receiving from such a subtle movement was driving him wild. Bucking into the rubbing hand, Natsu panted and tossed his head from side to side. Unsure if he could last from this treatment, his hand found Gray's, pushing it away so he could undo his pants.

"Does the dragon want more?" the ice mage teased.

"Yes, Gray! Just…I want you!"

He didn't have to hear that twice. Shoving the fire mage's shaking hands away, he quickly undid his pants. Slipping his fingers underneath the hem of both Natsu's pants and boxers, he pulled the both of them down at once.

With Natsu fully naked now, Gray took this time to stare at the one he loved so dearly. The pinkette seemed to glow beneath him, his body contrasting deliciously against the bed. He looked like an angel. His angel.

"Gray?" Natsu whispered unsurely, embarrassed by the close attention he was receiving toward his body.

"I'm just admiring the one who's stolen my heart," Gray replied, lowering his body over the pinkette's.

"Don't say such embarrassing things," he grumbled, looking away.

"I'm only stating the truth, Natsu," the ice mage stated softly, reaching over to the nightstand. He grabbed something and dropped it on the bed. "Are you ready?"

The dragon-slayer shyly looked up at him, nodding jerkily as he did so. Gray gave him a reassuring kiss before spreading Natsu's legs. He picked up the bottle he'd dropped and squeezed something into his hand, spreading the substance over his fingers.

"What're you doing?" Natsu asked innocently.

This took the ice mage by surprise. He knew Natsu was inexperienced—hell, he was, too—but he wasn't aware that the fire mage didn't even know the _basics_. "I'm going to prepare you," he replied. When the dragon-slayer still looked confused, he elaborated. "I'm going to use my fingers first to stretch you. It'll hurt more if I don't do this."

"It's gonna _hurt_? How much?"

"I honestly don't know, but I'm going to do the best I can to make it all pleasure. I promise," he said, kissing him again. He used this as a distraction to work in his first finger. Feeling the dragon-slayer tense up, he moved his other hand to Natsu's lower abdomen, gently stroking him there in a means to get him to relax. It worked.

When he felt the tension momentarily leave the fire mage's body, Gray moved his finger in and out until it moved with ease. Adding a second finger, Natsu froze again, but it didn't last as long as before. And when the ice mage started scissoring his fingers, the dragon-slayer started forcing himself down on them.

Gray had to restrain himself from taking the fire mage right then and there. He wasn't finished preparing him yet. Finally inserting his third finger, Natsu moaned, raising his hips in time with Gray's finger thrusts. Believing the dragon-slayer was ready, he removed his fingers, much to Natsu's dismay—if his whine at their loss was any indication.

Reaching for the bottle again, he poured more stuff into his hand and coated his throbbing erection. It almost felt as if he couldn't do it quickly enough. When he was fully coated, he spread Natsu's legs further and positioned himself before the dragon-slayer's perky entrance.

"Are you ready?"

"I-I think so," the fire mage replied nervously, drawing his legs up some to make it easier to spread his legs even further.

Gray took Natsu's hand in his. "If it hurts, just squeeze my hand, okay?"

"Okay."

Taking a deep breath, the ice mage pushed himself through the fire mage's tight opening, heat consuming his hardened member as he buried himself to the hilt. Natsu let out a short, surprised yelp at the pain, but Gray took matters into his own hands when he stilled and coaxed him into relaxing with kisses and sweet words.

When the pain gradually began to subside, Natsu wrapped his legs around Gray's waist; they almost seemed to lock in place there. Bucking his hips ever so slightly, the ice mage took that to mean he could continue. Pulling back out almost all the way, Gray thrust back in, hitting something that made Natsu see white.

"Ah!" the dragon-slayer cried out in pleasure. The ice mage froze, not sure what he had done. "Don't stop! Do it again!"

Gray did as he was commanded. He continued to move in and out of the fire mage, making him pant and moan in a way that drove him mad. How could his sweet lover make such seductive noises?

Natsu felt as if his insides were on fire. The burning sensation of both pleasure and pain were sending him over the edge. Gray was fucking perfect! He'd hit his most sensitive spot on the first try. How'd he get so lucky to have a lover like him?

"Uhn…mn, G-Gray," Natsu moaned, clawing at the bed.

If Natsu kept making those erotic sounds, he wasn't going to last. Gray placed his hand around Natsu's member and started pumping it to his thrusts. Thinking the fire mage vocal before didn't compare to how he was reacting right now.

"Oh, Gray! I'm gonna—" Natsu gave a short, silent scream as he came all over Gray's hand, collapsing against the bed in exhaustion as his lover continued to pound into him.

A few thrusts later, Gray came hard into the dragon-slayer beneath him, spilling his hot seed deep within him as he groaned in completion. His arms gave out and he fell ungracefully on top of Natsu, the mess between them quickly cooling. Their lips meeting once more. Gray kissed his lover for all he was worth before withdrawing from him.

Tiredly reaching for the towel he'd put on the nightstand, the ice mage cleaned them off and laid down on the bed, drawing the fire mage to him. Pushing Natsu's sweat-soaked locks out of his face, he kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"I love you," Gray whispered contentedly.

"I love you, too," replied Natsu, snuggling further into him. Life couldn't be any sweeter than this.

* * *

 **End**


End file.
